Nobody Tell
by PrincessofDarkness11
Summary: It was the straw that broke the camel's back. Harry leaves Privet Drive. He returns to Hogwarts with new hope in the form of Draco Malfoy. Everything's perfect right? But not everything is as it seems. postHBP
1. Crimson

**Warning**! Scenes of graphic violence and mild rape! If you're squeamish or naïve, I would recommend you skip those scenes. Otherwise, read to your heart's content!

X

Chapter One

X

Harry woke to somebody- he assumed it was Uncle Vernon- pounding on the door to his bedroom. He spared a glance at his clock and saw that it was 12:06. He was officially an adult. He slipped his glasses on, stood, and walked begrudgingly to the door. He opened it, looking at Petunia in confusion.

"Your uncle would like a word with you in the kitchen," she said, "Immediately."

"Alright," he replied shortly. He didn't even bother to throw a shirt on before he followed Petunia down the stairs. He knew that when his uncle said immediately, it meant drop everything and stop for nothing. Harry stepped into the kitchen, clad only in his drawstring pajama pants, to see his uncle holding an envelope and looking absolutely furious.

"You!" he growled, turning on Harry, "What have you been telling your _friends_ about in your letters?"

"N-nothing! I only talk about school…" he said truthfully. Earlier that summer, his uncle had said that if Harry so much as mentioned what went on in Number 4, Privet Drive, he would regret it for the rest of his God-given life.

"Liar!" Vernon howled, throwing the letter at Harry, "I got a letter from one of your little friends today!"

Harry picked it up and read it, slowly, his eyes widening with every line.

'_Harry,  
we know that you're being mistreated, and we're sending somebody to investigate as soon as we can. Don't worry. We won't let those filthy Muggles make your life any worse than it already is.  
All My Love,  
Molly'_

"I didn't tell them anything, I swear!" he exclaimed, panicking as Vernon Dursley advanced on him.

"You lying sack of filth! I never should have allowed you into my home! If it hadn't been for Petunia, you would have been on the streets, you ungrateful brat! You're lucky to have us!" he snarled.

"Lucky? Oh yes! It's terribly lucky that I have to come here every summer! It's _terribly_ lucky that you've done nothing but beat me since I got here this year! Awfully, _bloody, **lucky**_, wouldn't you say?" Harry raged.

At this, Vernon lunged at Harry, wrapping his pudgy hands around his throat and proceeding to squeeze the very breath from his lungs. Harry, of course, fought, but Uncle Vernon's enormous weight was pushing him into the corner of the countertop and the amount of pain he was feeling was disorienting to say the least.

"I'll kill you this time, you bloody freak! You're unnatural, and you're a shame to this earth! You're not a product of God. You're one of Satan's many failures!" Vernon scowled, a mad gleam in his eyes, "But I think I'll get some use out of you before you die…"

Harry knew what was going to happen even before he was turned around so that the corner was pushing into his stomach. He knew before his pants were pushed down and he knew before his uncle violated him. Even as Vernon was thrusting into his nephew he was strangling him, still intending to kill him. The mixture of pain and the feeling of being used like this caused tears to stream down Harry's face unchecked. However, through the tears and the pain and the humiliation, a part of Harry's mind was screaming that he had to live, or everybody would die.

Harry reached out, searching for something- anything that could be used as a weapon. He grabbed the first solid thing that his hand came in contact with and lashed out at his uncle with it. Even at the odd angle he was forced to swing at, he felt the object slice through Vernon's flesh. His uncle's grip fell and he gasped, drinking in as much of the precious oxygen as he could. He yanked his pants up, whipping around to see Vernon fall to the floor, bleeding from a deep wound in his side. Harry looked down at the object he had used and saw that it was a large paring knife. He spared a few moments to gaze at the crimson fluid that was slowly making a pond around Vernon, and then at the matching crimson fluid that had spattered his body and was soaking the right leg of his pants. He dropped the knife, walking briskly from the room.

As he passed Petunia she let out a horrified shriek. He turned and looked at her with hollow eyes. "You might want to call an ambulance," he said, continuing up the stairs.

Having come of age just minutes earlier, he packed his things with a wave of his wand. He scribbled a quick note to Ron and Hermione and sent it with Hedwig, before he shrunk her cage and his trunk and placed both of them safely in his pocket. He just barely managed to pull socks and sneakers on when he heard the sirens. He grabbed his wand and ran down the stairs. As he was sneaking out the back, a hand caught his arm.

"Where do think you're going?" Dudley snapped.

"Away from here," Harry answered, not bothering to turn around.

"I don't think so, Potter. You're going to jail for trying to kill my dad!" Dudley exclaimed.

"Yeah, right!" Harry growled, finally turned and fixed Dudley with a venomous glare, "You're father's the one who belongs in jail! You may not have noticed, Dudley, but do you see these bruises on my neck? And my arms? You're _dear father_ is a… never mind. Just let me go."

Dudley, shocked by Harry's sudden calmness, abruptly let go of his arm. Harry turned and left Dudley to think about just what sort of fellow his dad really was. He thought about calling the Knight Bus, but thought better of it. He didn't want to have to avoid questions or explain the blood, so he opted for illegal apparation instead. He apparated to the entrance of The Leaky Cauldron and hurried inside. He threw a few galleons to Tom and told him he would be staying for a while and that he would be down in the morning to discuss the appropriate fee before practically running to the first empty room and collapsing inside.

!x!

"Ron? What's Hedwig doing here and why does she seem so flustered?" Hermione asked.

Ron held Harry's letter in a shaking hand. He turned to Hermione, and the moment she saw the pained expression on his face and the unshed tears in his eyes, she knew something was horribly wrong with Harry. She snatched the parchment away from him, and he immediately sank to floor, burying his face in his hands.

'_Ron and Hermione,  
I think I may have killed my uncle. All I can say is that he brought it upon himself. I'll be staying at The Leaky Cauldron for the remainder of the summer. I'll see you when I see you.  
Harry'_

She tore the letter into several pieces and then threw it into the fire. She looked down at Ron and sat next to him.

"Why would Harry do something like that?" she mused, quite close to tears, herself.

"His Uncle must have- done something horrible…" Ron said, "Harry would never intentionally hurt someone if they hadn't done something horrible. Hermione, what do we do?"

"Well, we certainly don't tell anybody. We should just ask your mum if could spend the rest of the summer with Harry," she replied, "I'm not sure if he'll want to be at the Burrow right now. It's better to just go to him."

"You're right," Ron said, giving his girlfriend a quick kiss, "What would I do without you?"

!x!

Harry fought his way out of the nightmares at about ten in the morning and the moment he was conscious he ran to the bathroom and emptied the limited contents of his stomach. He could smell the fermenting blood covering his body and his pants, and he tore the offending garment from his body, flinging it into a corner. He pulled out a fresh outfit and stepped into the shower, allowing the torrent of warm water to wash his uncle's blood from his body.

He stepped out into the cold air and pulled on his clothes. He chose a pair of black jeans, a blood-red, form-fitting, muscle shirt, at which point he laughed ruefully at his choice, and a pair of black biker boots. He ran a hand through his damp hair, causing it to stand up even more than usual and sighed. He looked at himself in the mirror on the wall and considered a very strong glamour charm. The dark bruises on his neck and arms stood out in stark contrast, even on his tanned skin. However, he ruled against it, deciding that if anybody asked or stared, he would simply ignore them.

He walked down the stairs and, after paying his fee to Tom, entered Diagon Alley. His first stop was Gringotts bank, where he took out a large sum of money. _'Is it just me, or do I have more money than I did the last time I checked?'_ He shrugged the thoughts away and set about buying his school supplies first. When that was finished, he took them back to The Leaky Cauldron. After unloading the items in his room, he walked back down to see Ron and Hermione waiting for him.

"Um… I didn't expect to be seeing you guys so soon," Harry said, chuckling nervously.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, rushing over to pull him into a fierce hug. He inhaled sharply when pain shot through his body.

He smiled when she abruptly let go of him. "It's alright. I'm just a little… sore."

"What the bloody hell _happened_, Harry?" Ron asked, "You look like you've been through the ringer!"

"We'll talk later," Harry said, looking around pointedly at the large amount of people currently occupying the inn, "I've still got a bit of shopping that I wanted to do, so…"

"Let's go," Hermione said, leading the way.

Harry still had a large amount of money left and there were a few things that he had intended to do for quite a while, but could never find the time to get away. He noticed that Hermione kept looking back at him, skeptically. He sighed, suspecting that it was because of how he was dressed. And the abnormal amount of rings in his ears. Over the summer he had gotten three put in his left ear, and two in his right, and all holes were currently adorned with small, silver hoops.

"Was there something you wanted to talk about, Hermione?" he asked with a note of amusement in his voice.

"Actually, yes," she said, falling into step beside him, "What exactly is… all this?"

"Meaning?" he asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"_Meaning_ the clothes, the earrings, the shoes…" she said, "What's it all about?"

"I just wanted to do something new, I guess," Harry replied, "Something that wasn't expected of me."

"If it's any consolation, I think it's brilliant!" Ron said, grinning.

"Yes, Harry looks gorgeous, what else is new?" Hermione said, smiling, "But, Harry, when and where did you get it all?"

"Well, whenever company came over, I was banned from the house for the entire day, so a lot of the time I went to Muggle London. The first time, all I managed to do was take out some money and have it changed into pounds. By the way, the current rate of exchange is absolutely wicked! Then I bought a bunch of new clothes and I got my ears done… I remember when I came home after that," he said, shuddering at the memory, "Vernon was pissed. Nearly beat me into a coma." He added the last part almost casually, hoping that they might miss it. He was terribly wrong.

"Harry…" Hermione said softly, "Maybe we should sit down somewhere and talk."

"We can talk when we get back to the inn," Ron said, "There are way too many people out here."

She nodded and Harry grinned at Ron in thanks. "So, anyway, the funniest part is that he seemed to think that if a boy had his ears pierced it automatically made him a homosexual."

"That's ridiculous!" Hermione said, finally cracking a smile.

"I know. That's what I told him," Harry continued, "You should have seen the look on his face when I told him that I had been gay for a while before I even thought about getting my ears pierced!"

They laughed, imagining how an uptight Muggle family like the Dursleys would react to hearing that they had been housing a homosexual for nearly a year.

"So, Harry, what did you want to get while we're here?" Hermione asked.

"Actually, I was thinking that I would go and do it while you guys got some of your supplies. I already have mine, so we could meet outside of the ice cream shop in, say, an hour?"

"Are you sure you don't want us to come with you?" Ron asked, narrowing his eyes at his friends.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'll be fine," Harry stated, starting off down Diagon Alley, "I'll see you guys in an hour!"

Harry stepped into the tattoo parlor and was immediately stared at in bemusement. He sighed and stepped up to the counter. He quickly explained what he wanted done and was led into a room at the back of the store. He had already gotten one tattoo the muggle way. It was a bright red phoenix that resided on his right calf. The design had been his own depiction on Fawkes, as Muggles didn't seem to know a phoenix from your everyday cardinal. The tattoo he was getting today was a black and green snake on his left shoulder blade. The snake was to be about nine inches in length and was charmed to move about on his body if he wished it to.

When the tattoo was done, he sat up and prepared himself for the pain he had thought would surely come. However, the wizard way was nearly painless and by the time he walked out of the parlor, he had a new tattoo and shiny silver hoop through his left nipple, both completely healed. He glanced at the time and broke into a sprint. He was already fifteen minutes late!

He reached the ice cream shop to see Ron and Hermione already enjoying milkshakes and he smiled apologetically as he approached them. He took a seat and grinned at their expectant looks.

"You'll just have to wait to find out what I did," he said, ordering a strawberry milkshake for himself, "Because I'm not telling…"

"Fine," Hermione said, "I don't even want to know."

However, the look in her eyes said differently. Ron merely shrugged and continued to slurp his shake. Harry's arrived and he practically attacked it. He hadn't eaten in days! Hermione and Ron shared a worried glance.

They ate lunch at The Leaky Cauldron and then proceeded to Harry's room, where Harry knew he was going to have to tell them. They walked in and were instantly greeted with a horribly unpleasant smell. Hermione was the first to approach the source, which was lying in a corner on the far side of the room. Harry realized what it was just a moment too late, as Hermione used her wand to levitate the bloody pants. She gaped at him in horror, incinerating the pants in an instant.

"You weren't joking…" she said, falling back onto the bed, never taking her eyes off of him, "You were serious. You actually killed- oh my God!"

"Did you think that I would joke about something like that?" Harry asked, sitting in a chair across from the bed.

"No," she whispered, "But I had hoped, maybe…"

"What? That it would be some elaborate prank?" he snapped, and then ran a shaky hand through his hair, "I'm sorry."

Ron sat down next to Hermione and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, sighing.

"Harry, I think you had better just tell us what happened," Ron said, his expression grim, "from the beginning."

And so Harry told them. When he came to the last part, he stopped, taking several shaky breaths, willing his voice to work. However, the only sound that he seemed able to produce was a broken whimper.

Hermione looked at him, sadness shining in her eyes. "What happened then, Harry? Go ahead and tell us," she said, sounding as though she was talking to a five year old, "You need to talk about it."

"I… don't want to," he said.

"Please, Harry… just talk to us. Tell us what he did," Ron said, bracing himself for the worst.

Harry drew one more breath and closed his eyes. "He- he turned me around… he was still strangling me- I couldn't even scream- and then… he- he ra… oh God!" The last was spoken in a whisper when he suddenly buried his face in his hands, trying to hide his silent tears.

"Oh, Harry…" Hermione sniffed slightly, wiping tears away.

"I couldn't even defend myself against _him_!" Harry said shakily, "How am I supposed- to defeat the most powerful wizard in the world… if I can't even defeat one lousy muggle? It's too much, you guys. I can't take it anymore… I just can't."

"What're you talking about mate? You're made of tougher stuff than this," Ron said, slightly panicked, "If you have a break down, what hope is there for the rest of us?"

"You don't know what it's like! He was _family_, Ron… we didn't like each other, but he was still family… you don't understand," he said, still refusing to look at them, "I was completely helpless. I just- had to take it… and then I found that knife! I was just blindly reaching, I didn't even know what I had grabbed until I- I stabbed him… I just… feel used. Ugh… he was my bloody family!"

They winced at his sudden outburst, but looked at him with concern. Hermione stood first, walking over to his chair and kneeling in front of him, forcing him to look at her.

"Harry, we probably don't understand, but we're going to help you through this," she said, smiling warmly at him, "You're not alone."

"Yeah," Ron said, "You've got us, and you've got Remus and Mum and Dad and the rest of the Weasley brood. Not to mention Luna and Neville and the rest of our friends at school. You're definitely far from alone."

Harry chuckled weakly. "I guess…"

"You should take a nap or something, Harry," Hermione said, helping him stand and leading him to his bed, where he fell without protest and allowed himself to be tucked in.

"You get more and more like Molly every time I see you," Harry said, right before he fell asleep.

!x!

When he woke, it was to shouts from just outside his room. He sat up, putting his glasses on as he did, and padded across the room. He noted that he felt a bit better after talking about it with his friends, but it was still hideously fresh in his mind. He opened the door to see Ron and Hermione arguing with Remus, Molly, and Arthur.

"He needs to sleep! Just let him alone until he wakes up!" Hermione was saying.

"No! We need to speak with him immediately," Remus stated.

"Well, that's good, because I just woke up," Harry said from his place in the doorway.

They all looked over at him and Molly burst into tears. Remus and Arthur stared at him, aghast at the amount of painful looking bruises that was covering his body. He smiled ruefully at their reactions.

"Maybe I should have gone with the glamour charm," he said.

"Oh, Harry!" Molly exclaimed, rushing over to him, pushing him into the room followed by Ron, Hermione, Arthur, and Remus, who shut the door behind him, "I knew that something awful was going on! Didn't you get my letter? Was it too late?"

"Actually, my uncle got your letter first," he said, "He wasn't too happy about it…"

He rubbed the marks around his neck, which caused a fresh wave of tears from Molly.

"I'm so sorry! I never should have sent the letter the muggle way! I should have sent it by owl when Pig got back… I was stupid! I'm so sorry, Harry!"

"Don't blame yourself, it was just a matter of time," he said, "Now, was there something important that you wanted to speak to me about?"

"Yes, Harry," Remus said, tossing a copy of the Daily Prophet, "That is what we came to talk about."

He read the front page title; _Harry Potter: Wanted for the attempted murder of his own uncle!_ He scoffed and threw the paper back.

"Yeah, I tried to kill him. Shame I didn't succeed," Harry said maliciously, "I thought that after he was dead I could go after Snape and work my way up to Voldemort."

"You don't mean that…" Remus said, staring at Harry in shock.

"Oh, but I do," he replied, his eyes flashing dangerously, "Vernon Dursley was a perverted old bastard. He deserves more than what I gave him. And I'll kill Snape for what he did to Dumbledore. He's a murderer."

"Harry…" Hermione said, tentatively, "Snape is teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year…"

X

**So, there it is. The first chapter. Horribly angsty! I didn't know I had it in me to write such an angsty bit! I surprise myself!  YAY! Review Review Review!**


	2. Crying

**A/N: This was originally an AU fanfic that acted as though HBP didn't exist. However, I found that I couldn't resist the added conflict! Plus, I've done enough pretending that Dumbledore doesn't die… but that doesn't mean I can't put my opinion of the events into the story! YAY!**

X

Chapter Two

X

Harry couldn't believe what he had just heard. Surely he was insane!

"Could you repeat that? I don't think I heard correctly," he said, hoping to God that Hermione was lying or something.

"Snape is teaching at Hogwarts again this year…" she repeated.

"What?" Harry screamed, "How could they let that murderer teach? This whole world must be insane!"

"Harry, calm down," Remus stated, "Severus was placed under the Veritaserum- voluntarily- and admitted to having taken the Unbreakable Vow for Narcissa Malfoy. He also confessed to having told Albus this."

"What does some Vow have to do with Snape killing Dumbledore?" Harry asked.

"The Vow that Severus made magically bound him to watch over Draco Malfoy for the year, and, in the event that Draco could not accomplish the mission given to him by You-Know-Who, to complete that mission for him," Remus explained, "Harry, Draco's mission was to kill Albus. If Severus hadn't killed him, then the Vow would have taken his own life. Albus knew this, and he accepted it."

"Then why did he beg for his life? I heard him!" Harry exclaimed, not wanting to believe what he was hearing.

"Harry, do you honestly think that Albus Dumbledore would beg for his life?" Remus asked, "Harry, another of the things admitted by Severus was that he wavered, for just a moment in his resolve. Albus was pleading to be killed, Harry. He knew that he was weakening, and that Severus could be of more help in the war than himself. Albus was a very selfless man, much like yourself."

"What about Malfoy? Did he get off scot free, too?" Harry spat.

"Mr. Malfoy was also placed under the Veritaserum," Arthur explained, "He admitted to working for the Dark Lord, but only because his family was in danger."

Harry thought back on his previous year. It _did_ make sense… the Vow would explain why Snape was so adamant in his need to help Malfoy. And why Malfoy had been crying… in fact, he remembered Malfoy telling Dumbledore the very same thing- that Voldemort would kill his family. It also seemed to explain why Dumbledore hadn't tried to defend himself and had kept Harry from doing so as well.

"He knew…" Harry said, quietly, "That whole time, he knew he was going to die."

"Yes, Harry. He knew," Remus said.

"This is too much…" he said, "I can't handle all this… it's just too much! I want to be alone, please leave."

Remus shook his head. "Harry, we need to discuss-!"

"No! Leave, I need to be alone," he said, sitting down on the bed, "I need to think…"

"Harry," Remus tried again, "Your uncle is in a coma…"

"Where he belongs!" he finished, "Listen, is there something you don't understand about the word _leave_? In less than twenty-four hours, I have almost been killed and then _raped_ by my own fucking uncle, and then I'm told that Snape is teaching, Draco is innocent, and Dumbledore begged to be killed! I need time _alone_! Now, please leave!"

They backed away from the force of his anger, completely shocked at these new facts that had been revealed to them. Harry slammed the door in their stunned faces and locked it securely, before going into the bathroom and running the bath. He shed his clothing and slipped into the steaming water, allowing his thoughts to run rampant.

!x!

"Molly, please calm down," Arthur coaxed his wife, "Stop crying, dear…"

"Oh, Arthur… his own family! How can one boy go through so much in his life?" Molly sobbed.

"Molly," Remus stated, "We need to be strong- for Harry."

"I know… but it's just so utterly horrid!" she exclaimed, drying her tears, "And now he's wanted by muggle authorities for what was more than likely self-defense!"

"It was," Ron said, "Harry just grabbed the first thing he could and swung… he didn't even know what he was swinging."

"You knew about this?" Molly gasped, turning on her son, "You knew and you didn't bother to tell anyone?"

"Well, he only just told us, and we didn't know if he wanted anybody to know…" Ron said, looking down at the floor.

"You realize that he'll have to go to court, don't you?" Remus asked.

"No!" Hermione exclaimed, "You can't make him relive that! Take him to the Wizengamot or something, but not a muggle court!"

"It's the muggles who want him, Hermione," Arthur explained, "We have nothing to do with their justice system."

"Well, who's going to be Harry's lawyer?" Hermione asked, folding her arms across her chest."

"That's another thing that we needed to discuss," Remus said, grimacing slightly, "We thought it best if Harry's lawyer was somebody that he was already familiar with- from our world."

"Remus, who is it?" Hermione repeated, narrowing her eyes.

"Severus has agreed to the job," Remus said, "He's fully qualified, rest assured, he took the time to study muggle law for a few years."

"Are you kidding?" Ron yelled, "Harry will never agree to that! He'll go to prison first!"

"I trust Harry to make the right decision," Remus said simply.

"Harry will do it," Hermione said, surprising them all, "The first thing he'll think is that he can't save the wizarding world from prison."

"We've already got the trial set up for Christmas Break, and until then he will remain in school," Remus said, "The only thing we need is his signature."

"Good luck…" Ron said, "You'll need it."

!x!

Harry stepped out of the bathtub, feeling that his thoughts were a bit more organized than before, and dressed quickly. He sat down on his bed, sighing. He was still having trouble coming to terms with what Remus had told him. It seemed like his life was just going completely to hell since Dumbledore died. _'Actually,'_ he thought bitterly, _'since my parents died.'_

He fell backward on the bed, growling in frustration at the tears that were, once again, flowing gracefully down his cheeks. He seemed to be crying a lot, lately. He felt weak… and he didn't like it. He thought back on all of the times when he had been completely helpless- the times when he was unable to defend himself or others. Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore… all of them had died because of his inability to save them. And then… he hadn't even been able to defend _himself_ against a muggle!

He shook the disturbing thoughts from his head and focused instead on the news that Remus had brought. He decided that he wanted to know more about what had been said at the trial for Dumbledore's murder, and he walked out of the room, assuming that they had moved to Ron's room across the hall from his own.

He stepped into the room and many curious gazes fell on him. He sent them a small smile before taking a seat in the chair next to Hermione.

"I want to know what else happened at the trial," he said.

Remus sighed, but explained nonetheless. Apparently, Snape had also admitted to becoming a Death Eater, and then turning into a spy for Dumbledore. He was no longer acting as a spy, for that information spread through the community like a wild fire, and he was forced to go into seclusion for nearly a month to escape the fury of Voldemort. Malfoy had also admitted to becoming a Death Eater, but only to save his family, for whom he cared about deeply. Both had been cleared of all charges due to the 'circumstances' and he had been forced to hide with Snape. Narcissa Malfoy's body had only recently been discovered. Malfoy was now, apparently, working for the light side and had spent the summer at Grimmauld Place.

"So… all that happened this summer, and nobody bothered to write to me about it?" Harry asked, suddenly feeling very left out.

"We wanted to tell you in person," Arthur answered, "It wouldn't have been right to send you a letter and then leave you alone to sort things out."

"I guess…" he said, leaning back in the chair, "So what about my attempted murder?"

"You'll have to go to a muggle trial," Remus said.

"Then I'll have to find a lawyer," Harry said, his eyes revealing none of his thoughts.

"You already have one," Arthur said, handing him a piece of paper, "All you have to do is sign in the appropriate space."

"Who?" he asked.

"Well, that's really not…" Remus started, but Harry cut him off.

"_Who_?" he repeated.

"Severus Snape has agreed to the position," Molly said.

Harry dropped the paper as though he had been burned by it. "No… I'd rather go to prison. I'd rather spend the rest of my life in Azkaban," he stated.

"Harry James Potter," Molly scolded, approaching him, "Do you honestly think that we would allow that? Severus is obviously the best candidate! He is well schooled and quite familiar with these types of- things. Now, you are going to sign that paper and I'll hear no more arguments, young man!"

Harry, forgetting about his newly acquired adulthood, merely picked up the paper and signed obediently. He handed the paper back to Arthur and sat back, eyeing them as though he had just been handed over to the Dark Lord.

"I'm not going to like it," he said stubbornly.

"We're not asking you to like it, we're asking you to accept it," Remus stated.

"Fine. I accept it. When's the trial?" he asked.

"December 26th," Arthur said.

"The day after Christmas?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, we felt it best that he go on trial _after_ he opened his gifts," Remus said, smiling.

"Right… now, is that all?" Harry questioned.

"Yes," Remus answered, "We'll see you off on the train, Harry. Goodbye until then."

And with a POP they were gone. Ron turned to Harry and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Didn't you say that you weren't coming back to school?" he asked.

"Yes, but I decided that the stronger I can become, the better. I'll seek out the horcruxes after I graduate," he replied, "Plus, I'd like to continue the DA."

"Oh, Harry, that's great!" Hermione exclaimed, "I'm so glad you decided to come back. Hogwarts wouldn't have been the same without you."

"Yeah… it would have been safe," he said.

"I don't think so," Ron retorted, "Bloody hell, Harry, you think that he's not going to be coming after _us_, too? I know this isn't going to help you much, but we became targets the moment we became friends with you! And, do you want to know something? I'm happy to be a target! It's my _choice_. Besides, if I'm a target, then that just means that I'm considered a threat. It's a compliment, really."

Hermione smiled brilliantly at him. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

Harry looked at them, tears coming to eyes. "Thanks, you guys…" he said, feeling the dam break again. He wiped furiously at his eyes. "I'm sorry. It seems like all I do lately is cry my eyes out. I'm surprised I haven't run out of tears yet."

"Harry, it _is_ okay to cry. I don't think I've ever really seen you have a good cry since I met you," Hermione said, "I'm glad you're finally letting all this out."

"Yeah, Hermione lets it out all the time!" Ron said, earning him a hand up the back of his head, "Oi! What was that for?"

"For being a prat," she said, "Is there anything else we can do to kill some time? There are still a couple hours before dusk."

"I can think of a few things…" Harry said, suddenly grinning at them.

!x!

"Honestly, Harry, a bar?" Hermione scoffed, "I'm sure that there are better uses for our time!"

"Never!" Ron exclaimed, seemingly horrified at the idea, "There's nothing more important to a wizard who's just come of age than alcohol!" With that said, he downed another shot of Firewhiskey, letting out a raucous whoop.

"I'll give you another fifteen minutes of drinking, and then we're going to visit Fred and George," Hermione huffed.

"Fair enough!" Harry said, laughing as Ron erupted into a fit of coughing.

Hermione sighed and ordered a wine cooler, smiling to herself at her friends' antics. Exactly fifteen minutes later, Hermione pulled them away from the bar and down Diagon Alley. They stood in front of the Weasley Wizard Wheezes in a few moments and she was, again, forced to practically pull them into the store.

"Why, hello!" George said, coming over to them straight away.

"Hullo, brother!" Ron exclaimed, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Hermione, did you let those two drink?" Fred asked, raising an eyebrow at their apparent dishevel.

"I didn't _let_ them do anything. They didn't tell me that we were going to a bar," she huffed.

"So, Harry, did you notice anything when you visited Gringotts- something that wasn't there before?" George asked.

"Actually, yeah…" he said, narrowing his eyes, "Why?"

"Well, since you started us out, we've decided to give you a small share of the profits," Fred explained.

"Since we're so generous," George added.

"Oh…" he said, unable to think of much else, "Thank you."

"It's no problem!" George said, "Consider it a token of our appreciation."

"Okay…" Harry said, having serious trouble forming full sentences.

"By the way," Fred stated, "We heard about you trying to kill your uncle."

"Yeah, we always figured it was only a matter of time before you kicked his fat ass," George said, laughing, "Good for you!"

"Yeah, well…" he trailed off, "He _did _deserve it…"

"Alright! We should be going now!" Hermione interrupted, "Lots more to do and what-not."

"See you around," George said.

As they were leaving the shop, Fred called, "By the way, Harry, I'm loving your new look!"

Harry grinned. He knew it was a good idea.

"Maybe I should get a few things pierced…" Ron said, "You've been getting ogled all day!"

"Excuse me, but _you_ don't need to be ogled," Hermione growled, "You have me, remember?"

"Yes, dear," Ron replied automatically.

"Good boy," Hermione said, with a smile.

"Yeah, want a biscuit?" Harry mumbled.

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing," he said quickly, grinning, "Is there anything else you guys want to do? I'm fresh out of ideas…"

"We could go to the library," Hermione suggested.

"No," Ron stated, "But I do know of a cozy little coffee house we could go to. It's right up the street from The Leaky Cauldron."

"How do you know about a coffee house in muggle London?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Ginny drags me about enough for me to know my way around," Ron replied.

"Speaking of Ginny, where is she?" Harry questioned.

"At home," Ron said, "She didn't even know that we were coming to see you until we had left. She was furious and demanded that she come along with Mum to make sure you were alright."

"So… she wasn't allowed?" Harry said, urging him to go on.

"No, Mum said that they had to talk to you about adult things," Ron chuckled, "You can imagine how happy she was with that comment. Mum says she went on a rage about how she was only a year younger than you and was just as much your friend as me and Hermione."

Harry smiled. "She's got the Weasley temper, that one."

Hermione sighed. "Don't say that… I don't even want to think about Ginny with Ron's temper. That could be a deadly combination."

They laughed at the thought. "Hey!" Ron suddenly exclaimed, "Why aren't I deadly with my temper?"

"Because you have me to control you," Hermione said simply.

"Oh… right," Ron said, smiling sheepishly.

"Yes, whatever would we do without you, Hermione?" Harry said dramatically.

"Oh, probably get yourselves blown up- repeatedly," she answered.

They exited the Leaky Cauldron and headed a few blocks up the street to the coffee house and stepped in, instantly relaxing with the atmosphere. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee was heavy, the soft jazz music, and the dim lighting all added to the serene ambiance. They found a table in an almost secluded corner and sat down, instantly starting a quiet conversation about the more jovial points in their summer. They heard the tiny jingle of bells that signified somebody entering the place and looked up to see a person with platinum blonde hair falling into his stormy grey eyes…

X

**Hahaha! A cliff hanger! Well… kind of. Just remember to review, alright? I was going to write something else, but have forgotten what… oh well, probably pointless anyway! Now go forth, and REVIEW this story!**


	3. His Story

**A/N:** I hope you guys all enjoy this chapter. And just so you know, I'm placing a stipulation on this chapter. At least 10 reviews before ch.4. Fair enough, right?

**Warning:** This chapter will probably be really angsty, on account of the fact that I'm listening to Evanescence as I write it! Also, there is smoking in this chapter. I promise it won't play a big part, so if you could please overlook it or deal with it, just for ME? ;) I'd be much obliged!

X

Chapter 3

X

Ron growled. "Malfoy…"

"Oh, shut up," Hermione said, smiling and waving him over.

"What are you _doing_?" Ron whispered as Draco approached them curiously.

Harry grinned, thinking, _'He looks like a cat when it's cautious about taking a treat that a strange kid is trying to give him…'_

"Hello," Hermione said, "Why don't you sit down."

Harry saw the glare that Ron shot in her direction. His grin widened. They acted so much like they were married sometimes.

"I think I will," Draco said, thoroughly enjoying making Ron squirm.

"How has your summer been?" Hermione asked.

Draco smiled. "My mum was killed, my dad is in Azkaban, and I've been hiding out with Lupin breathing down my neck the entire time. It's been just jolly!"

"Sorry…" she sighed, "Sometimes I forget things."

Harry snorted. Hermione had never forgotten anything in her life!

Draco turned to look in confusion at the strangely familiar boy sitting at the shadowed side of the table. "And you are…?"

Harry smirked, leaning over so his long-time archenemy could get a better look at his face. "Don't you remember me?"

"Potter?" he gasped, "What the hell happened to you?"

He laughed bitterly, and it sounded harsh, even to his own ears. "Nothing much…"

"Harry, don't," Hermione said before he could finish.

He merely looked at her for a moment before sitting back in his seat. "Fine. I won't burden him with my own problems."

Ron sighed in relief.

Draco watched the exchange, wondering what it was all about, when something struck him. Hadn't he read, just that morning, about Harry trying to kill his uncle? He had thought, even then, that it had surely been in self-defense. However, he had laughed at his own ridiculous idea. What would he be defending against? Certainly his family adored him, just like the rest of the world. But, just maybe…

"Does this have something to do with your uncle?" Draco asked.

Harry felt himself grow cold. All of his anger, pain, sadness, and desperation suddenly welled up inside of him at that one sentence spoken so sympathetically by his worst enemy. He felt he would burst with the magnitude of it and so he fled from the coffee house into the fresh summer air. He vaguely noticed that it was dusk as he began walking in no particular direction- just anywhere away from questions.

"So I was right," Draco said, standing to follow Harry.

"Hey," Hermione said, "Don't push him to talk or hurt him in any way, do you understand me? I know some pretty powerful hexes and I won't hesitate to use them on anybody who threatens my friends."

"Yeah, yeah, I got you," Draco smirked, walking out.

"Are you just going to leave them alone?" Ron asked.

"He'll bring Harry back," Hermione said, taking her latte from the waitress.

"What makes you so sure?" Ron scoffed.

"I don't know anything for sure," she replied, "But I'm sure they'll be wanting their coffee."

!x!

"Hey, Potter," Draco called to Harry, catching up to him a few blocks up the street.

"I have a name, why don't you try using it?" Harry snapped, trying to keep a tight reign on the negative emotions he was feeling.

"Fine- Harry- what happened?" he asked.

"None of your business," Harry retorted, quickening his pace.

"Oh, come on! It can't be that bad," Draco said, sneering.

"Really?" Harry stated, stopping as they passed under a street light and turning to Draco. Every bruise on his body was illuminated in the pale orange glow and he smirked. "I can tell you how I got every single one of these bruises and they all came from one man."

"Your- uncle?" Draco asked disbelievingly.

Harry chuckled, walking again with Draco next to him. He ran a hand over the newer marks around his neck. "Do you want to hear a _story_, Draco?"

He looked at him, shocked at the eerie tone in his voice. "I'm not sure…"

"But you were so adamant in finding out what happened a few moments ago. Don't tell me you've lost interest so quickly," he said, "Regardless of whether or not you want to hear; I'm going to tell you my story. Then maybe you'll think twice about mucking around in my private life."

Draco listened to nearly the entire experience before he covered his ears and refused to hear anymore. When Harry inquired as to why, he merely said that he could guess what happened next, making Harry laugh.

"You have no idea…"

Draco looked at him. "We should go back. Granger and Weasley are probably making themselves sick with worry over you."

"Whatever," Harry said, turning around and heading back with his silent, blonde companion.

"Harry! You were gone for quite a while. Where did you go?" Hermione asked when they arrived back at the coffee house.

"For a walk," Harry said.

Ron looked at Draco's strangled expression and turned to Harry. "You told him then?"

"The parts he would listen to," Harry said, "I'm going to head back. You can have my coffee, Hermione, I don't want it anymore."

"Alright," she said, "Get a good night's sleep, Harry. You'll feel better in the morning."

"Yeah, sure. Thanks Hermione." He turned away from them and walked out, this time unaccompanied.

!x!

On August 11th, Ginny Weasley arrived at the Leaky Cauldron and enthusiastically greeted Harry when he walked down the stairs. He wasn't surprised to see her there, however, because she had owled him the day before saying that Molly was allowing her to stay at the inn for the rest of the summer. He allowed himself to be drug into Diagon Alley, followed by Ron and Hermione.

Harry hadn't seen Draco since the night of their walk and he suspected that he would be seeing very little of the boy throughout the year.

"Harry?" Ginny said, "I was just wondering… why it was that you tried to kill your uncle…"

He sighed. "Ron and Hermione will explain it to you. I don't feel like talking about it right now. I'll meet up with you guys in a little bit, okay?"

Ron waved him off. "We'll be in the apothecary."

Harry walked down the alley with his hands in his pockets. When he finally reached his destination, he entered and was, this time, greeted with smiles. He grinned at them and shrugged as if to say, 'yeah, I'm back.'

"What do you need done this time, Harry?" the young witch at the counter said.

He stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed.

"I see…" she said giggling, "Follow me then."

She pulled out a box and began showing him his choices. "How's the eyebrow doing, by the way?"

"It's fine. I clean it twice a day, just like you said," he replied, "And before you ask, my nipple is doing great."

She laughed. "Well, that's good."

He picked up a silver bar with a black bead on the top that had a red skull and cross-bones in it. "I think I want this."

"Good choice," she said, "Now stick out your tongue."

He did as he was told and winced slightly when she punctured it with the bar. She magically healed it and smiled. "You only have to clean this one in the morning. Your saliva will serve as a natural disinfectant for the most part."

"Cool. Thanks again, Trina," he said.

She ruffled his hair. "No problem. You go back to school in a couple weeks, right?"

"Yeah," he replied, clicking teeth with the tongue ring, completely fascinated by the sound.

"You won't forget to write to me, right?" she said.

"Of course I won't. And you won't forget to send me a pack a week, right?" He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"A pack of what? I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Trina…" he growled.

"Oh shut it, I won't forget." She smiled. "You really shouldn't smoke though. You're so young."

"Like you're one to talk," he said, "You started smoking in your fourth year at Hogwarts, right? And besides, I don't even smoke that much. It's just when I start getting fidgety or I need something to calm my nerves."

"Yeah, right…" she chuckled, rolling her eyes, "I bet you have three other people who you feed the same story to and they're all going to send a pack a week, too."

"Well, duh!" he said sarcastically, laughing when she smacked him on the arm.

"Get out of here. I'm sure you left your friends waiting somewhere again," she stated, fairly pushing him out of the place.

"I'm going, I'm going," he laughed, "See you around!"

"Bye!" she called, giving a quick wave before walking back into her store and yelling, "Oi! Who's next?"

He checked the time and saw that he still had about ten minutes before he had to get back to his friends. He stopped outside of the Quidditch shop and leaned against the wall, holding his arm out in front of him and watching as the snake tattoo traveled from his back down to his forearm to circle around his wrist. He grinned, feeling glad that he had decided to wear the tight, black t-shirt that day. He ran a finger over the animal and was delighted when it turned its head toward him. _I guess wizarding tattoos have- minds…_ he shrugged, figuring that it _was_ magic, so it was entirely plausible.

"Wow… a tattoo. I never would have thought of you as one for body art."

"Hello, Draco," Harry said, "There's a lot of things I do that nobody would think of me."

The little snake continued traveling the span of his arm and he smiled a little. _Maybe I should name it…_ He unconsciously clicked the tongue ring against his teeth in thought.

"What's that noise?" Draco asked suddenly, pulling Harry out of his thoughts.

He smirked, sticking his tongue out at the blonde boy. At first Draco just took it as a childish gesture. That is, until he caught the glint of metal, at which point his mouth dropped open in a small 'o'. Harry chuckled.

"I just got it done a bit ago. Trina does good work, don't you think?" Harry said, brandishing the snake at him.

"You're on a first name basis with your tattoo artist?" Draco teased, grinning, "That's pretty sad."

Harry shrugged. "I don't think so. She's cool."

"Whatever," Draco said, pulling out a pack of Salem Menthols and pulling one out, lighting it quickly before stashing them back in his pocket. He took a slow drag, and then exhaled, watching the smoke float in soft waves.

Harry, too, was watching it. How long had it been since he had last a smoke? A fair few days, he thought. Before either of them knew what he was doing he grabbed Draco's wrist and brought the cigarette to his own lips, letting the smoke invade his lungs. He exhaled on a sigh of pure bliss.

"Hey," Draco said, bringing Harry out of his euphoria, "Mind letting go of me?"

Harry blushed lightly, dropping his wrist. "Sorry…"

"You smoke?" Draco said conversationally.

"Yeah… nasty habit I picked up this summer," Harry replied, smiling, "I've convinced Trina to send me a pack a week while I'm at school."

Draco raised an eyebrow at him. "Is she your girlfriend?"

Harry laughed. "No, she's definitely not my girlfriend."

"I see… your girlfriend's probably still in school, right?" Draco asked, trying to keep the curiosity out of his voice.

Harry gave him a strange look. "I don't _have _a girlfriend."

"Do you wish you did?" he asked, and then hastily added, "Because if you do, I could set you up with somebody."

"No, don't bother. I have no need for a girlfriend," Harry sighed and looked up at Draco, smirking, "Now a _boy_friend, on the other hand…"

"Oh… you swing that way then," Draco said.

"Eh… a little of both actually. Don't you?" Harry stated.

"Well, yeah but how did you know?" Draco asked.

"I have- what did Ginny say? I have incredibly powerful 'gaydar', or something like that," Harry said laughing, "I should really keep her away from Seamus and Dean. They're polluting her innocent mind."

"From what I heard around school, she's anything but innocent," Draco said.

"Yeah, I figured. She's far too popular with the guys, in my opinion." Harry checked the time again. "Only a couple more minutes. I should go. They're waiting for me at the apothecary."

"By 'they', I assume you mean Weasley and Granger?" Draco asked.

"Ron and Hermione, yeah. Ginny's there, too. I have about a minute and a half before I'm supposed to be back there, so I should go," Harry said, turning down the alley.

"I'll come, too," Draco said, following him, "I don't have anything better to do, so I might as well dog you."

Harry sighed. "Just try to call them by their names."

"I can try, but I won't promise anything."

Harry smiled. "Good, because there they are. Don't mention anything about my tongue ring, tattoo, or the fact that I smoke. They don't know and I don't want them to worry."

Draco chuckled. "It looks like- Ginny- is already worried."

"No she just heard my little story," Harry said, watching Draco's expression turn suddenly sober.

"I'm sorry…" he heard Draco whisper before they reached the apothecary, outside of which stood Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, who threw her arms around Harry.

"That's so horrible!" she said, "But I know how to make you feel better."

"Really?" Harry said, wiggling his eyebrows at her suggestively.

"Shut up, Harry! We both know your branch doesn't bend toward girls," she said crudely, "Let's go shopping!"

Ron groaned. "Have you ever been shopping with her? It's brutal! Don't do it, Harry, I'm begging you!"

Harry grinned. "Shopping sounds like fun."

Ginny whooped in triumph, then turned to Draco. "Hello there! Would you like to go shopping with us?"

Draco shrugged in response making her smile. "Great! Let's go then. I know the perfect store that will suit all of your needs, Harry. We'll have to take the subway, though."

"What's the store called?" Harry asked. She named the store and Harry smiled. He had been there often, but he didn't tell her that…

When they returned from their shopping spree, both Harry and Draco were carrying several bags apiece. The entire time had been spent with Hermione and Ginny shoving outfit after outfit at Harry and eventually Draco as well. Ron had stayed back and watched sympathetically. He remembered when Ginny had emptied his own pockets in one of her make-over shopping sprees. They came away with several pairs of pants, shirts, socks, a couple pairs of shoes, chokers, bracelets, hats, and body decorations. You see, Harry wasn't the only one who enjoyed getting things pierced. Draco had his left ear pierced once, his right pierced twice, and his nose pierced.

"You know…" Ron said as Harry and Draco changed their rings, "I'm starting to feel really left out."

Harry grinned. "Get your ears pierced or something, then."

"Maybe I will," Ron stated, "I'd only want one though… that'd be enough for me."

"Good," Hermione said, "Because that's enough for me, too."

Harry looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Don't get me wrong, Harry, it looks great on you and all, but I don't think I could go with a guy who was all- decorated," she said, smiling.

"I could!" Ginny said enthusiastically.

Draco chuckled. "I'm sure you could…"

"So are you still at HQ, Draco?" she asked.

He sighed. "Yeah… it's really dreary and they hardly ever let me out on my own. I feel like a caged animal."

"That's how Sirius felt…" Harry said.

"Who?" Draco asked.

"Long story short; Sirius Black, Harry's Godfather, was innocent. Peter Pettigrew is, as I'm sure you're aware, alive. Sirius was kept in that house the same way you are and he felt pretty much the same. He hated it," Hermione explained, "In fifth year, he fell through a veil in the Department of Mysteries and we have no idea what's happened to him."

"Long story _short_, eh?" Draco taunted.

"Shorter than it could have been," she replied, shrugging.

"Maybe you should spend the rest of the summer here," Ginny said, "I'm sure the Order wouldn't object to that."

"You never know, Gin," Ron said, "Those guys are pretty paranoid."

Hermione smiled. "That's just Moody."

"I could ask," he said, "I'm not sure they'll go for it, but I'm certainly willing to try."

"Even if it means spending the rest of your summer with a bunch of Gryffindors?" Harry said.

"I suppose I can handle you lot for a couple weeks," he said, smirking, "But I can't promise you'll all come away in one piece."

"We'll keep that in mind," Hermione said.

X

**Well, the end of chapter 3. I do believe chapter 4 will be longer, if memory serves. So, review, alright? Remember- nothing to it, but to do it!**


	4. Breaking Down

**A/N: Um… I really hope you like this chapter! I need more reviews, you guys! Almost 200 hits to the story and under 10 reviews? That's just sad! Get it into gear, ya'all! You're my inspiration, don't you know? **

X

Chapter 4

X

A few days later, Draco came back to the Leaky Cauldron with the news that the Order was going to allow him to stay with Harry on the stipulation that he is never unaccompanied. This meant that he would be staying in Harry's room… an idea to which Harry was not completely opposed, surprisingly enough. However, when Harry returned to his room one night after having late night drinks with his good friend Trina, he found something rather unexpected waiting for him.

He stepped into room number 11 to see Draco sitting on the floor with none other than Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle. When he shut the door they turned to look at him with matching expressions of confusion. He raised an eyebrow at them.

"I thought you'd be out for a _lot_ longer," Draco said, sounding disappointed in having been caught, "Most people stay out for at least four hours when they say they're going out for a few drinks with a friend."

"Yes, but I'm not an alcoholic," Harry said, stalking across the room to his trunk. He pulled out a book, kicked off his shoes, and fell back on his bed to read. "Go on with whatever it is you were doing. Don't stop on my account."

"Actually we were just finishing up when you walked in," Draco said.

Pansy cleared her throat. "You didn't mention a roommate, Draco."

"I didn't think it was relevant," he said, "And I was planning on inviting him to the Society meeting tonight, but he had plans with his- artist."

Harry scowled at him.

"Sorry, but who?" Blaise asked.

"Him…" Draco said, motioning toward Harry, who was now watching them curiously. Could they really not recognize him? Maybe they weren't as clever as their house suggested. "If we had Potter with us-"

"Potter? _Harry Potter_?" Crabbe said.

"Yes, Vince. Harry Potter. The lump of proverbial teenage angst on the bed over there," Draco said.

"Bloody hell. I can hardly recognize him," Vince said.

Pansy scoffed. "Are you kidding me? The eyes alone are a dead giveaway. He's the only guy I know with such bright green eyes… it's like looking at the Irish countryside when you see those eyes."

"I suppose…" he said.

Harry moved to the floor next to Draco, abandoning the book on the bed. "Tell me about this 'society' I'm being invited into."

"It's the G.A.S. Society," Blaise said.

Harry wrinkled his nose at the name. "Gas?"

"No," Gregory Goyle explained calmly, "G-A-S. It's an acronym for the Gold and Silver Society. It's also called the Gryffindor and Slytherin Society. It's a group for members of Gryffindor and Slytherin members who want to form stronger alliances with their rival house."

Vince pulled out a piece of parchment. "You personally know quite a few of the members. Let's see… there's Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown, Millicent Bulstrode, Thomas Nott… and, of course, the people in this room. Startling numbers actually. We had no idea we'd get such a good turnout."

"I had no idea so many people cared about inter-house relations," Harry said, "Dumbledore would have been proud… I'll do it. I'll join gas."

"G.A.S… honestly, you're as bad as Blaise," Pansy said.

"You and Hermione have a lot in common, did you know that?" Harry said, looking at her in bewilderment.

"Speaking of Hermione," Pansy said, "The invitation extends to her and Ron as well."

Harry chuckled. "I'll tell them that. I didn't think any of you knew their names. So, how long has this Society been meeting?"

"Not too long," Draco answered, "It was all Pansy and Greg's idea originally. They seemed to think that, if we made the Gryffindors our confederates in the war, we'd have less of a chance of being either accused of participating with our parents or killed."

"They're probably right, you know," Harry said, "Gryffindor's are more likely to risk their lives to save a comrade than a Slytherin… no offense."

"None taken, it's true," Blaise said, "Unless the comrade was sexy…"

"Honestly!" Pansy exclaimed, punching him in the arm.

"So… since the basic reason for this meeting has been dealt with, I'm sure we all have some questions we'd like to ask each other," Blaise said.

"Fire," Draco said, leaning back on his elbows.

"I'll go first!" Pansy exclaimed, "I was wondering where the new look came from, Harry."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. How was he suddenly 'Harry', and not 'scar-head' or 'Potter'? Were these people really so accepting that they could suddenly be on first name basis with their sworn enemy of six years? He decided he'd ask Draco about it later, and then that he would analyze his own acceptance of the blonde-haired boy, to whom Harry felt so free to talk.

He sighed. "Everybody has been asking me that. I had a lot of free time over the summer. I got my ear pierced once, and it escalated from there."

"Exactly how many decorations do you have?" Blaise asked, grinning.

"Er… ten, I guess," he said.

"What are they?" Greg asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

He hesitated. Seeing this Draco smirked. "Come on… don't be a baby. It's not like it's a big deal."

"Eight piercings and two tattoos," he said finally, smirking at their shocked expressions.

Pansy eyes him inquiringly. "I can _see_ the five in the ears and the one in your eyebrow, but where is the rest?"

He stuck his tongue out and she squealed in delight. "I love tongue rings!"

Draco chuckled. "If it isn't going to do something useful, put it away."

Harry laughed, but did as he was told.

"There's one more… and I recall you mentioning tattoos," Vince said, raising his eyebrows.

Harry rolled his pant leg up to reveal his depiction of Fawkes doing a nose dive to his ankle. "In case you're wondering, I drew it. Muggles wouldn't know a Phoenix if it burst into flames in their kitchen." They all laughed. He held up his arm, where the snake was circling around his arm happily, right near his elbow. "This is Sempre. He seemed to have an intelligence of sorts, so I wanted to give him a name."

"The Italian word for 'always'?" Vince asked.

"Yeah, well he _is_ permanent," Harry said, "You're a lot smarter than you seem at school."

"It's an act," Greg replied, "People are willing to speak more freely about certain matters if they believe you're too stupid to understand."

"I see…" Harry said.

Pansy growled in frustration. "Potter! You're stalling… where's the last piercing?"

"Why do you want to know so badly?" Draco asked.

"Well… I guess I'm just interested in body art," she said, smiling lecherously, "Now where is it?"

He grinned. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I think we've established that I would," she sighed, "Look, if you really don't want these dunderheads to know, then could you just show _me_? I'm curious as a cat now that you're acting all secretive! We could go into the bathroom real quick… please?"

Harry saw Draco's eyes narrow slightly and wondered what had warranted such a hostile reaction. However, he nodded and followed Pansy into the bathroom. A moment later they emerged, Harry blushing and Pansy giggling madly.

"So, where is it, Pans?" Blaise asked.

"I'm not telling…" she said in a sing-song voice.

"Harry? Are you back?" Hermione walked in followed by Ron and Ginny, "We heard voices and- hello there!"

"Hullo!" Pansy said smiling warmly, "Well? Come in and sit down. Greg will explain everything."

"Who's Greg?" Ron asked stupidly.

When everything was explained to Ron and Hermione and their questions were answered, they sat in companionable silence for a few moments before somebody cleared their throat.

They turned to look at Vince. "I just remembered something that I read a while back. Harry, did you really try to kill your own uncle?"

His eyes widened almost imperceptibly, but Draco caught it. He yawned raucously. "Well! I'm tired, so you'd all best be off. We'll do this again before school starts, okay?"

Pansy looked at him suspiciously. "But Draco…"

"Drop it," he whispered simply, "He'll talk when he's ready."

She nodded and stood, leaving last after hugging the occupants of the room- even Ron, which left him stunned beyond words. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny also retired, leaving Harry and Draco alone in the room. Draco prepared for bed silently, watching Harry out of the corner of his eye. For some odd reason, he felt an undeniable need to protect the dark-haired youth. Seeing him, sitting so still on the floor, staring blankly at the fire, made Draco want to take him in his arms and- '_Wait a minute!'_ he thought, _'This is all wrong! I don't want to take Harry anywhere. Great… when did he become Harry, again?'_ He shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts and approached Harry to tell him to get to bed.

x

His mind swam back to that night. He hadn't thought about it since he told Draco his 'story' and he'd hoped to avoid the subject at least until school started. However, his silent prayers went unanswered. Somebody was bound to bring up the headline story in the Daily Prophet. He could feel the shamed tears burning at the backs of his eyes and he tried to blink them away, but they spilled forth despite his efforts.

He could still feel the pain and degradation as fresh wounds in his mind. It was as though it was happening over again. He felt himself begin to shake as he gazed unseeingly into the dancing hearth, only able to picture Vernon's angry face. Suddenly feeling his uncle's fingers around his throat again, he fought for air, tearing at the air around his neck. When he felt a hand grip his shoulder tightly, he screamed, but the sound was strangled by a sob that escaped simultaneously.

He stood, fast as lightning, and ran to the opposite side of the room, where he cowered against the wall, wrapping his arms around himself. He stared at Draco with wide, crazed eyes, and Draco thought that the boy had certainly driven himself insane. Still, all Harry could see was his uncle's rage.

Draco took a few careful steps toward Harry, and the boy whimpered in fear. He continued walking toward him, as one would approach a frightened doe in the forest, until he was only about a yard away.

"Potter… it's me," he said, attempting to coax Harry out of his hysteria, "Harry, listen- I'm not going to hurt you… not ever again. It's me; Draco Malfoy. From school, remember?"

Harry's eyes briefly came into focus, but just as fast they glazed over and he let out a terrified gasp, trying to dart past Draco. However, Draco caught him and pulled him back against his own chest. He held Harry's thrashing form tightly, trying to prevent him from injuring either of them.

"Stop! No, please… don't. G-get away… I didn't know," Harry whispered in desperation, "I'm _sorry…_"

"Harry, calm down," Draco instructed quietly, his mouth next to Harry's ear, "Listen to the sound of my voice. I'm not your uncle and not here to hurt you. I promise."

Harry's body went limp in Draco's arms and he carried him to his bed. He set Harry down, tucking him in and taking his glasses off to set them on the bedside table. He brushed the hair off of Harry's forehead, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

He went to his own bed only after Harry's breathing returned to normal and he covered himself, sighing. Just as he closed his eyes, he heard Harry roll over, presumably in his sleep. He heard a slight sniffle and nearly got back out of bed to see what the matter was, but then he heard something that brought a genuine smile to his graceful mouth.

"Thank you- Draco…"

!x!

Harry woke the next morning to an empty room. He got up slowly, gathering his clothes- a pair of semi-baggy, dark blue jeans and a black muscle shirt- and headed for the shower, grateful for the solitude. He turned the water on as hot as he could without scalding himself, discarded his clothes, and stepped under the cascading droplets.

His thoughts drifted to the previous night. He couldn't believe he had lost it like that. He sighed, closing his eyes against the water and trying to clear his head. However, Draco's soft words echoed through his mind.

'_I won't hurt you… not ever again.'_

Had he really said that? He remembered struggling against powerful arms that he'd assumed were his uncle's, but- they had been leaner and the embrace they gave was more comforting than threatening. Had those arms been Draco's? The words that had pulled him out of the dark place he'd been trapped in were definitely Draco's, but they'd been spoken so… caringly.

He picked up the bar of soap and began washing himself, careful of the few bruises that were still evident. What exactly was his relationship with Draco? He wouldn't call him a friend. Draco was more of a- support system. Harry shook his head, shampooing his hair. He didn't like how that sounded. It made him feel like he was _using_ Draco.

Maybe Draco was a different kind of friend. Yes, that was it- but what _kind_ of friend. Harry sighed, turning off the water and, after wrapping a towel around his waist, stepping out of the stall. Draco was an anchor. He was the kind of friend who holds you to yourself. He smiled.

"Like a guardian angel…"

Harry dressed quickly, walking back into the room. He sat at the edge of his bed, resting his head in his hands. He wouldn't _need_ an anchor if his uncle… What had he done that was so horrible, anyway? He never did anything wrong… except, perhaps, be a wizard. Everything he did seemed to set them off, though. He should've left long ago, before it came to that.

He felt the tears coming again and, this time, let them flow freely. The memory of his humiliation was as fresh in his mind as the day it occurred. _'And Draco knows… what must he think of me, now?'_ he thought, wiping furiously at his eyes. When the tears wouldn't stop he flung a shoe across the room in frustration, narrowly missing Draco's head.

"Bloody hell! What are you-?" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw that Harry was crying. He walked to the bad and sat down next to him. "What's wrong?"

"That's a stupid question…" Harry said.

"Sorry. My brain hasn't quite processed that information," Draco replied, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not yet. I just want to forget it," Harry said, "Can you do that?"

Draco smiled weakly. "I'm afraid not…but whenever you want to talk, I'm here."

Harry sighed, unconsciously leaning into Draco, who stiffened momentarily. However, he smiled at the vulnerable boy, placing an arm around his waist and drawing him closer.

Harry closed his eyes. "I don't know why I'm crying."

"I do," Draco said, "It's okay to cry, especially after everything that you've been through."

"But- I have to be strong," Harry said, laughing bitterly, "I have to save the world, didn't you know?"

"Shut up," Draco stated, though his voice never lost its warmth, "You can't save the world alone, so don't worry yourself with being 'strong'. Just be _here_, okay? That'll be enough."

"Thanks, again, by the way," Harry whispered.

"It's no problem. Anybody would have done it," Draco replied.

He seriously doubted it. "Maybe…"

"What happened last night, Harry?" Draco asked.

"I don't know… I just- all I could see was Vernon…" Harry sighed, trying, once more, to hold back his tears, even knowing that it was futile.

"You told _me_. How was I any different from the others?" he said.

"I don't _know_. It's- you know… you just are, for some reason. I don't know why," he replied frustrated, "I can't explain it."

Draco placed a finger under Harry's chin, turning his face up to look at him. When he saw the tears shining in those brilliant emerald eyes, he felt an odd tug in his heart. He brushed away a stray droplet that had escaped with his thumb, bending slightly to plant a soft kiss on the trembling lips.

Harry's eyes widened in shock then fell closed. Draco's kiss was warm and sweet, offering all the comfort he had, but asking nothing in return. Just as Harry was relaxing into the kiss, he remembered where he was and who he was with. He jumped backward, getting off of the bed, nearly falling over in the attempt, and staring at Draco in fear.

"What was that?" he gasped.

"A- kiss…" Draco answered, his brow furrowed.

"Wh- why would you- do that?" Harry exclaimed, touching his lips with the tips of his fingers and running from the room.

Draco ran a hand through his hair, sighing. He never should've done that. Harry wasn't going to be ready for a relationship- let alone any physical intimacy. He stood, deciding that he should at least _try_ to apologize for being such a presumptuous ass.

!x!

He found the Boy-Who-Lived at the tattoo parlor, speaking with a girl who had black hair with hot pink streaks in it. He assumed that it was 'Trina', and stepped into the place, where he was met with the icy stare of said girl. He swallowed air, working up his nerve and walking to where Harry stood.

"Listen… we need to talk," he said.

"I think you did enough 'talking', earlier," Trina snapped, "Now, I think you should leave."

Draco shot her his best glare and turned back to Harry. "Can we please talk?"

"I…" Harrys started, faltering and falling back into passive silence.

"He doesn't want to talk to you," Trina said, "Now get out of here."

"No…" Harry said softly, "I _do_ want to talk."

Trina looked at Harry sternly. "From what you told me, it seems like he just took advantage of you. Why do you want to talk to someone like that?"

Draco sighed. "That's the thing! I _know_ I took advantage of him. I came after him to- _apologize_…"

Harry's eyebrows shot up past his hairline. Trina saw his reaction and gave him a confused glance. "Are you surprised?"

"Well- yeah," Harry said, "This is Draco _Malfoy_."

Trina's mouth dropped open. "Oh… that's why you're so surprised."

Draco blushed. "Okay, now that you've all bad-mouthed my prideful nature, can we talk, Harry?"

"But… isn't that what you came to say?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but I'm sure you want to lay into me for being the git you always knew I was or some such thing," Draco said.

Harry smiled. "No, not really. You acted on instinct, and… it's not as if I didn't _enjoy_ it…" He blushed even darker than Draco had, lowering his eyes to the floor.

"It's okay, you don't have to explain. I understand." Draco held out his hand. "Are we cool?"

Harry took the proffered hand, shaking it once. "We're cool."

Trina grinned. "See? I told you everything was going to be okay!"

Harry scoffed. "No you didn't! You were telling me that you were going to go find him and pierce him in unpleasant places with painfully large rods!"

Draco winced. "I'm glad I saved myself from that fate."

Trina raised an eyebrow at him. "You have no idea…"

"Thanks a bunch, Trina, but we should get back," Harry said, "I'll come by tomorrow."

"Bring Draco with you," she whispered, "He's cute."

Harry leaned closer to her and whispered, none too softly, "He's gay…"

"Drat! Mum always told me all the good ones were gay…"

**X**

**How was it? Did you like it? No cliffie here! YAY ME! Now… REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**


	5. Going Back

A/N: Still NOT happy with the lack of reviews! Come on, people… you can do it. Just hit the little button at the bottom of the screen, okay? Now, here's chapter five.

X

Chapter 5

X

When they got their letters for Hogwarts, Hermione and Draco's came with shiny Head Boy/Girl badges. After a night of celebrating and some intense hangovers in the morning they set out to get their school supplies, after which they celebrated some more, although not to such extremes this time. Over the next several days, they had one last summer G.A.S. meeting, during which the focus seemed to be on what would happen when school started again…

Harry sighed, packing his things into his trunk. _'Back to school today…'_ he thought. Everything would, of course, go back to the way it had always been- with the Slytherins and Gryffindors at each others throats… especially Harry and Draco. It would only be in private meetings that they would be able to act friendly. It was this fact that had Harry so depressed. He sighed again.

"You know Harry," Draco said, practically reading his thoughts, "We _could_ just let people know that we're- friends."

"I don't want to cause you any trouble."

Draco laughed. "I've already got the Dark Lord after me for being a traitor, which means that the Slytherins will all know and hate me for it. I'm going to need backup when they try to kill me in the halls."

Harry smiled. "Alright, but _you_ tell them in _your_ way. I've done enough explaining in my life."

"How many people do you think will ask about your look?" Draco asked.

"Everybody…" Harry replied.

They apparated to Platform 9 and ¾ and dragged their things into a compartment at the back with Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Dean, Seamus, and Neville. (It's a larger compartment…) They had invited Luna, but she went to sit with Colin Creevey. They settled in and Seamus turned to Harry, grinning.

"Harry, is it just me, or did you get even more gorgeous over the summer?"

Dean chuckled. "It's definitely not just you."

Harry sighed. "Yeah, whatever. I've been getting that a lot."

"Yes, he has, and it's going to give him a big head," Hermione said.

"Please! If all the media, fans, and Golden Boy hype hasn't given him a big head, nothing will," Ron said, making them laugh.

"Speaking of the media," Dean said, "Did you see the Daily Prophet this morning?"

They shook their heads.

He grinned, showing them the front page. The headline read; _"Harry Potter's Piercing Secret Life!"_ They groaned collectively. Draco snatched it away from him, smirking.

"This is too good!" he said, skimming through, "They've got pictures of you going in and coming out. Several of them, actually. They're like those 'before: after' bits in muggle magazines." At the funny looks he received with this information he grinned, "What? Can't a guy read _Seventeen_ and be left in peace? Anyway… it points out each new piercing but it says that three of the times you came out, it couldn't be identified. Witnesses in the store didn't know and Trina wouldn't say anything. She kicked them out, apparently. Good for her!"

"What _else_ does it say?" Ginny urged.

"Their speculating whether she's his girlfriend or not… oh for Merlin's sake!" he exclaimed.

"What _now_?" Harry asked.

"They did a poll on page three," Draco said, flipping forward, "_What hidden body part do _you_ think Harry Potter has decorated?_ Seven percent think other, nineteen percent think belly_-_button, thirty-four percent think it's the nipple, and forty percent think it's your tongue. Dear God, what could the _other_ category be?"

Seamus grinned lecherously.

Harry sighed. "I can't believe they'd write such bull shit!"

Neville cleared his throat, preventing them from pressing into the subject any more. "I assume you guys know about it, then?"

"Yeah, they know," Draco replied.

"Know what?" Ron asked.

"G.A.S. Honestly, Ron, keep up!" Hermione said.

"When is the first meeting going to be?" Seamus asked.

"I don't know. I'll send a black card via owl the day before meetings," he said, "They'll be held in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom."

"Why not in the Room of Requirement?" Ginny asked.

"It'll be closed, don't you think?" Neville said, "After- what happened last year."

The compartment grew silent. Harry hazarded a glance at Draco and saw that he looked incredibly pained. He was, no doubt, thinking about the hand he'd had in Dumbledore's death and how he'd used that room. Harry sighed, shaking his head slightly.

"Let's get this out of the way," he said, and everybody looked up at him, "Draco, I _don't_ blame you for Dumbledore's death. Your mum was in danger- anybody would have done what you did."

"But- Harry, I… it was my fault."

"Drop it. I don't blame you," Harry said, then leaned over to whisper in his ear, "We can talk about it later."

He nodded silently.

Seamus and Dean exchanged a look, smirking. Ginny elbowed them, nodding her head back in Harry's direction. They looked over to see Draco place his hand at Harry's lower back and whisper something in his ear that made the darker haired boy smile and his eyes glint playfully. They grinned, if possible, even wider, figuring they knew exactly what was going on, now. Neville caught the exchange and followed their gaze.

"No way!" he exclaimed.

Harry looked over at him and Draco moved back. "What?" Harry asked.

Dean kicked him in shin. "It's nothing. I just told him something I heard this summer."

"Gossip, Dean?" Hermione said, "You disappoint me."

"A guy's got to have something to do with himself," he replied, shrugging.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "There are plenty of things a guy can do with himself…"

Harry smacked him, lightly, on the arm. "Shut up. Keep your perverse thoughts to yourself."

Draco laughed.

"We're going to be there soon," Ron said, "We should put our robes on."

!x!

They walked into the Great Hall and Draco moved to sit with the Slytherins. However, Harry grabbed his wrist and pulled him over to the Gryffindor table. Draco raised an eyebrow at this but shrugged and followed obediently, enjoying the shocked stares of the students around them.

"Harry? What do you think you're doing?" Colin Creevey asked, incredulously, "He can't sit here!"

"He can sit wherever he wants," Harry said simply.

"But- he's a Slytherin! He's _Draco Malfoy_!" a sixth year girl said brazenly.

"Yeah, and he's my friend," Harry retorted, "And if anybody's got a problem with that they can stuff it." All complaints were silenced.

"Thanks," Draco said.

"It's nothing. They'll get used to you," Harry said, "Now be quiet, the Sorting is starting."

Draco rolled his eyes.

When the first years were finished being sorted, McGonagal stood up and raised a hand for silence. When the students paid her no mind, Draco stood up, slamming his hands onto the table in front of him.

"Would everybody just shut _up_?" he yelled, smirking when silence fell. He waved a hand at her, and she smiled warmly at him. He sat back down, once again ignoring the world.

"I know that many of your peers are missing, due to the recent- events- that occurred here. Parents seem to think that Hogwarts is no longer safe. However, I beg to differ. All school activities will continue as scheduled and I only hope that I can be a satisfactory Headmistress. I truly believe that this year will bring some good things, even if it isn't one of our best. Now, tuck in!" McGonagal sat down and Hagrid patted her on the back, sending her a reassuring smile.

"Poor McGonagal," Ron said, shaking his head.

Hermione huffed. "I, for one, think she'll do a marvelous job. She may not be Dumbledore, but she is talented, wise, _and_ she's a woman, which means she's has maternal instincts. I think she'll be good for this school."

Harry smiled. "Yeah, she'll be fine. Once the students get used to it, they'll give her the same respect they gave Dumbledore."

"Probably more, since she won't be quite the pushover that he was," Draco said, smirking.

"That was really nice of you, by the way," Harry said to him, "What you did for her."

"Yeah, I was just sick of the noise," he said, turning away.

"Sure…" Hermione said, smiling at him.

"So," Ron said, piling food onto his plate, "What are you going to do with the living situation?"

"Dunno," Draco replied, picking at his own turkey, "I don't think I'll be too safe living with the Slytherins."

"We could go talk to McGonagal," Harry suggested.

"I guess," he said, "Maybe she'll give me my own room."

"You should ask," Hermione said, smiling, "Then we could hang out in private whenever we wanted to."

"Yeah, and we wouldn't have to deal with Moaning Myrtle," Ron added.

"Ron! She's not _that_ bad," Harry said.

"You only say that because she fancies you," Draco teased, "She told me all about brave Harry Potter's adventure in second year…"

Hermione laughed. "She should get together with Colin and Ginny. They could start an official fan club."

Harry groaned. "Don't start that again."

"Yeah, he's already got one…" Draco said, grinning.

"So, when are you going to see McGonagal?" Ron asked.

"After the Feast, probably," Draco said.

"I'll go with you," Harry stated, and they gave him a strange look, "What? I'm just going to back him up. If she sees that a Gryffindor agrees with him, maybe she'll be easier to convince."

"At the very least, she'd let you move in with the Gryffindors," Seamus said, smirking.

"Oh no! I can handle you lot once in a while, but every damned day? I don't think so…" Draco laughed.

"Yeah!" Dean exclaimed, "Besides, if he has his own room, he can do what he wants, when he wants, with whomever he wants."

Seamus chuckled. "Is that it then? You just want someplace to shag your lover in private? You could always ask Harry. He seems to know every nook and cranny of this blasted school."

"Really?" Draco said, looking at Harry, who was blushing.

"It's not what you're thinking," Harry said, "Get your mind out of the gutter. I have other ways."

"I'm sure..." Dean said, "I'm sure you get around more than the rest of us. All the girls are pining for you…"

Harry mumbled something about losing his appetite and excused himself from the table.

"What did I do?" Dean asked.

"Nothing," Hermione assured him, "Harry just hasn't been feeling well lately. Draco, would you-?"

However, Draco was already halfway through the hall. She smiled, turning back to her food. Harry would be alright...

!x!

Harry walked out onto the grounds and let the brisk night air wash through his hair. He sighed, feeling a little better just for breathing the open air. He still didn't know why he had suddenly felt the need to be alone, but he knew that if he had stayed there, he would have lost it- again. He pulled a hand through his already messy hair, groaning in disgust. If that was how he reacted to the mere _mentioning_ of sex, how was he ever supposed to pursue a relationship? He cursed himself for being weak, and then cursed himself for being so self-deprecating. After which, he cursed his uncle for- everything.

"Hey, Harry!" a voice called from behind him.

'_Great…' _he thought, _'Just what I need… **company**…'_

He turned around to see who was breaching his solitude, expecting to see Hermione or Ron. Instead he saw Draco striding quickly toward him, a worried look marring his otherwise perfect features. He stopped and waited for the blonde boy to catch up to him.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, as Harry led him to the large oak by the lake.

Harry stopped, sitting down with his knees folded up to his chest and gazing out at the shimmering water. "I'd rather not say."

"Oh," Draco said, taking the spot next to Harry, "It's _that_. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, now," he replied, "I guess I just needed to get out for a bit."

"Hmm..." was all Draco said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"It doesn't mean anything. Just a noise to fill the awkward silence," Draco replied, smiling.

Harry turned his gaze back to the lake, completely passive once again. He watched the moonlight dance across the face of the lake and sighed. There was so much beauty around him and all he could think of was the ugliness that lurked inside of him. If Uncle Vernon died, of which there was a good chance, he would be murderer. Even if it was in self-defense, no matter how badly _he_ had been hurt, he would be murderer. Somebody else's death would be on his hands. He silently prayed that Vernon would live… if only so that they could put him away for the rest of his miserable life.

"Harry?" Draco said softly, verbally shaking him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah…?"

"You'll never feel any better if you don't talk about it," he said, "I'm not trying to pressure you into talking to _me_ or anything. I'm sure you'd rather talk about it with Hermione… but I'd feel better if you talked about it with somebody."

Harry turned to look at him, his brow furrowed. "Why- why do you care so much?"

"I don't know," Draco said simply, "I don't think it's something I can explain with words…"

"There's not much to talk about…" Harry said, "I've already told you what happened. What else is there?"

"How about how you feel now?" Draco pressed.

"How would _you_ feel?" Harry snapped.

"I don't know how I'd feel, because it didn't happen to me. It happened to you," Draco said, "How do you feel?"

"Used, humiliated, worthless, deficient- like I lost part of myself that I'll never get back," Harry whispered.

"How do you feel about _him_?" Draco asked.

Harry's eyes flashed. "I hate him. I hate him with every fiber of my being, but- I…"

Draco placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "You what?"

"I don't want to be a murderer. I don't want to be responsible for the death of my uncle… even if he is the bane of society," he explained, then turned to Draco with tears burning like fire in his eyes, "I want him to live so I can watch him rot in prison for the rest of his life."

Draco almost drew his hand back in surprise, but instead he felt his fingers grip the appendage a little tighter. '_Harry must be feeling really awful right now…' _he thought, _'I don't want to make him feel worse.'_ He offered a warm smile.

"How do you feel now that you've talked about it?" Draco asked, his eyes already triumphant.

"A bit better," Harry replied, "But if I start freaking whenever somebody brings up sex or my uncle… and if I run away because of- of one little kiss… how am I ever going to deal with a relationship?" He held Draco's gaze and he saw the tears begin to flow soundlessly from the stunning emerald orbs. "He's ruined me, Draco. That's it! I'm broken- deficient!"

Draco pulled the boy against him in an effort to calm him. Surprisingly, it worked and Harry relaxed against the hard chest he was clutched to. He could feel Draco's heart beat and was sure that his own heart must have stopped. Sighing, he closed his eyes, basking in the moment for what was longer than he would have found appropriate under normal circumstances. However, under certain conditions, one simply had the right to do something out of the ordinary, and Harry felt that this was most definitely one of them.

After what seemed like an hour, they separated, both wondering why they had done that. Harry rubbed his hands over his face, trying to wake up his muscles so they would work properly again. He couldn't seem to stop that stupid little smile! He eventually schooled his face into a more suitable grin and looked up at Draco, who had taken the opportunity to stand and stretch his legs.

'_What are we, exactly? I probably can't go with **just friends** anymore…'_ Harry thought, and then Draco stretched his arms skyward and Harry was reminded again of an angel. _'Who cares? I can think later…'_

Draco noticed that Harry was watching him and smiled. He held his hand out and Harry took it, using the leverage to pull himself to his feet. He was obviously still troubled, but Draco figured that he had broken through some of Harry's barriers. Now, all he had to do was rid Harry of his fear and anxiety and deficiency-complex and things would be all clear! He sighed. The boy was far too complicated. _'Although,'_ he thought, grimacing inwardly, _'When a guy goes through everything he's been through, he's bound to pick up some baggage.'_

"We should go talk to McGonagal," Harry said, already heading back toward the castle doors.

Draco followed, smiling at his retreating back.

They made their way to McGonagal's office in silence and when they reached the statue of the gargoyle, it immediately sprang to the side, with a small "you're expected". Draco and Harry exchanged confused glances and walked up the stairs. When they entered the office, Harry was glad to find that McGonagal had left it nearly exactly as Dumbledore had- most likely out of respect.

"Hello, boys," she said, "Take a seat, will you? I assume you want to talk to me about something or other, am I right?"

"Er… yeah," Harry said, "But- how did you know?"

"Lucky guess, I suppose," she said, grinning, "But I hadn't expected you both."

Harry shrugged. "I've always thought change was good."

"Right…" Draco said, "I just wanted to discuss my living arrangements. I really don't think I'll be very safe with the Slytherins, now that I've deserted the Death Eaters."

"That's perfectly understandable, but what do you propose as a solution?" she asked.

"Er…" Draco trailed off, unsure of how one goes about asking for one's own room in a school where everybody else lives in dorms without sounding too crass.

"Draco wants his own room," Harry blurted, "He's not safe with the Slytherins, and I doubt he'd be comfortable in the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw dorms, so the only logical solution would be to give him his own room, right? You could say it's some sort of Head Boy privilege or something."

Draco cursed him for his candor.

"Wouldn't Miss Granger also need a room of her own to keep up this façade, then?" McGonagal asked.

"Oh… yes, I suppose that's true," Harry replied, "I hadn't thought of that."

"Good," she said, smiling warmly at them, "I will assign you, as well as Miss Granger, your own rooms within the week- just as soon as I find a pair suitable for you. I trust you have no objections to staying in the Gryffindor Tower for that short period of time?"

"No, ma'am," Draco said, shocked by Harry's success. Maybe being forward wasn't always a bad thing. _'At least, not when you have big, innocent green eyes…'_

"Good. You're things will be waiting for you when you get back to the dorms," she said, "I believe all of your classmates have retired to the Common Room and are more than likely awaiting your return."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said, flashing a toothy grin, "Brilliant speech by the way. Don't be so nervous, though. You'll be great."

She positively beamed at him. "Thank you very much," she said, "And thank you, Draco, for your assistance. Now, off to bed with you. The password is Dormiens. Good night, boys."

"Good night," they said in unison, walking out of the office.

!x!

They stepped into the Common Room to surprised stares and many dropped jaws. Harry sighed. _'Here it comes…'_

They were instantly bombarded with a thousand questions at once and Harry ignored them all. He practically shoved Draco up the stairs to the Seventh Year boys' dorm, turning briefly to the crowd of angry students.

"He's staying here under McGonagal's orders. But he's going to be staying here _comfortably_ at mine. Am I completely understood?" he said, glaring at them.

They nodded silently, taken aback by his severity.

He turned on his heel and stormed up the stairs, where Draco was searching through his things. He shrugged and pulled his shirt over head, letting it land in a heap by his bed. Just as he was undoing his jeans, Ron walked in, followed by Hermione. Harry paused briefly in his undressing to see who stepped into the room.

"Hey," he said.

Draco turned around and his eyes just about fell out of his head. There was Harry Potter, the object of his desires, half-undressed. Then he noticed Hermione and Ron and gave him a perplexed look. Harry smiled.

"You get used to Hermione being in these parts after a while," he said simply, kicking off his pants. He pulled his pajamas on quickly and sat down on his bed.

When Draco got his eyes put back in place, he went back to his previous activity.

"What are you looking for?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing. I'm making sure all of my stuff is here," he said, "I have a feeling I'm forgetting something… but everything is here. I've checked three times now, and I still can't shake that nagging feeling in the back of my mind."

"Maybe it's not something physical that you're forgetting. Maybe it's a birthday or important event or something," Ron suggested.

"Shit!" Draco exclaimed, "I promised Sev I'd come and see him after the Feast."

Harry's mood darkened considerably at the mention of his lawyer and Dumbledore's killer. "When did you do this?"

"When I wrote to him a week before summer ended," Draco answered carefully.

"Oh…" Harry said, lying back on his bed.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing," he said.

"Don't lie to me," she snapped, "Something's wrong." She sighed. "Harry, I know Snape killed Dumbledore, but I thought you understood the circumstances…"

"I _do_!" he exclaimed, "It's not that… really. Do you realize that, since he's my _lawyer_, I'll have to tell him exactly what happened? Do you think I want him to know something like that? Do you think I want _anybody_ to know that?"

"Harry…" she said.

"I don't want to give him something that he can hold over me… I don't want him to have that kind of power," Harry said.

"Is that really what you think of him?" Draco asked.

"Well, he hasn't exactly given me any reason to believe he's a nice guy in the past," Harry said.

"He wouldn't hold it over you," Draco said, "I've known that man for the majority of my life and he's always been incredibly understanding. Hell, he's been more of a father to me than my own father!"

"I'm sure that's true," Harry said, "But when that man looks at me, all he sees is my father and the things that my father did. He doesn't even know who _I_ am."

"Then show him!" Draco exclaimed, "Listen, I'll go with you when you go to talk to him if you want."

"That's a good idea," Hermione said, "You can be the peace-keeper."

"Hopefully they won't need a peace-keeper," Draco said.

"Are you kidding? They'll need an eight foot thick wall of solid steel separating them!" Ron said, smirking.

Harry groaned. He was right after all. Snape hated him… possibly more than he hated his father.

"Where are Seamus and Dean?" Harry asked, changing the subject as smoothly as he could.

"Crowd control," Ron answered simply, "They'll be up in a bit."

Harry nodded. No more than a minute later the door flew open and Neville stumbled in, followed by Seamus and Dean, who were laughing loudly.

"What did you do?" Hermione asked.

"Told them that Draco was staying here because he wanted more time to shag Harry senseless!" Neville said indignantly, "You wouldn't believe how much more upset that made them! They're like wild animals!"

"Yes, well, I'll go give them a more believable explanation…" Hermione said, "How did it go with McGonagal, by the way?"

"Well, Draco gets his own room," Harry said, "And, incidentally, so do you. She's going to say it's a new Head privilege."

"Good idea," she said, and then leaned over to give Ron a quick kiss, "Goodnight, Ron. Goodnight you guys."

She walked out, shaking her head at the unnecessary noise level in the Common Room.

"She's…" Draco searched for the word.

"She's like the Seventh Year boys' Dorm Mother," Seamus said, smiling.

"Except to Won-Won," Dean mocked.

"Shut up," Ron said, tossing his pillow at Dean's head.

This went on for a few minutes before Hermione came back up and informed them that it was time for lights out. Moments later they were in pajamas and lying in their beds. Harry could tell, minutes later, that everyone was asleep, and he, too, attempted to get some sleep. However, for Harry Potter, sleep was a long time coming. With the events of the day- indeed, the entire summer- running through his head, it would be hard to find solace in slumber…

X

Okay! LONG chapter… for me anyway. Now, see the little button in the lower left hand corner? The one that says 'review'? HIT IT! REVIEW for me! I'll continue without them, just because I like this story so much… but I'd really like some reviews! PLEASE?


	6. Meeting

A/N: Much more pleased with the reviews for the 5th chapter, but I could still be happier! If you catch my drift… read and enjoy!

Chapter 6

X

"Harry? Are you feeling alright, mate?" Ron asked, "You look like shit."

Harry grimaced, sitting down at the table and picking up a piece of toast. "Thanks a lot… For your information, I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"I was thinking," he said, "About everything that happened over the summer and what's going to happen in December."

"What's going to happen in December?" Seamus asked, and Draco looked over at Harry expectantly.

"My trial," he said simply.

"Trial?" Dean said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. For the attempted murder of my uncle," Harry said, "I have to testify in a Muggle court."

"Oh, I remember reading something about that," Dean said.

"Hey, Harry," Draco interrupted, "Defense Against the Dark Arts is the last class of the day, so hang back and we'll talk to Professor Snape, okay?"

Harry smiled at him, thankful for the swift change of subject. "That's fine."

"Speaking of class," Hermione said, "Let's go. We should get to Transfiguration early so we can meet the new professor."

Harry and Ron rolled their eyes, but followed her nonetheless, waving at their housemates- and Draco. They stepped into the classroom to see the back of a man who looked oddly familiar. He turned around at the sound of scraping chairs and grinned at them.

"I just couldn't stay away…" Remus Lupin said, shrugging.

"Yes!" Ron exclaimed, triumphantly, punching the air.

Remus laughed. "I'm glad to see that you're so enthusiastic."

"Why are you here?" Harry asked.

"Why, I'm here to teach, of course," he replied, "I would've gone for Defense again, but as Severus is currently occupying that position…"

"Why are you _really_ here?" Harry said, narrowing his eyes.

Remus sighed. "I _am_ going to teach, and I _am _fully qualified for the position… but I'm here to make sure- you don't do anything drastic."

Harry raised an eyebrow at him. "How do you mean?"

"We- that is Minerva, Molly, myself, and the majority of the order- felt that, with the preceding events, you might attempt… to hurt yourself, in one way or another," Remus said, choosing his words carefully, "I'm not here to spy, and I don't plan on becoming your shadow, but I _am_ here to ensure your safety."

Harry looked down at the ground. He wasn't going to protest, because, though he would never admit it aloud, he _had_ thought of just ending it all several times. However, he knew that if he were to commit suicide, he would leave behind a great many distraught people, and he didn't want to hurt the people who cared so much about him. Instead, he looked up at Remus and shrugged, grinning.

Remus sighed in relief. He had thought, for sure, that Harry would yell at him for being a busybody.

"Well I, for one, can't believe you think so little of us, as Harry's friends," Hermione said, "Do you honestly think that any of us would let anything happen to Harry?"

"Of course not," Remus said, "I'm just here as- added precaution. We all know that you're able to keep Harry safe, as you've proven numerous times."

The students began filing into the classroom and, upon seeing Professor Lupin, whooped excitedly. Remus smiled warmly at them.

"Good morning, class," he said, "I trust you've all had an exciting summer and are ready to get back to the dull routine of school?"

They groaned, taking their seats.

"Well, good, because there won't be any boredom in this classroom," he said, which improved their spirits a great deal, "Well, without any further ado, we're going to dive straight into human transfiguration…"

!x!

DADA couldn't have come any faster for Harry- and it couldn't have gone by any slower. Throughout the entire lesson, Snape was casting curious glances in Harry's direction. Whenever Harry met his gaze, and saw the lack of malice in those obsidian eyes, he got a severe case of the creeps. _'I like him better when he's all snarky…'_ he thought.

By the time class ended, Harry was even more anxious about talking with Snape than he had been the night before. The last thing he wanted was the man's pity…

"Harry?" Draco said, stepping up beside him, "Are you okay? You look a little green."

"I'm fine," he replied, "Let's get this over with."

Hermione and Ron said they'd wait outside for them and left, albeit reluctantly. Harry and Draco approached Snape's desk and he looked up at them, quirking an eyebrow. Harry swallowed reflexively, tensing for attack. Draco stepped in front of him slightly- a subtle gesture, but one that did _not_ go unnoticed by one Severus Snape, whose eyebrows shot into his hairline at this action.

"Draco, Mr. Potter," he said, nodding in their direction, "Is there something you wish to discuss?"

"Yes, but not here," Draco said, "Could we go into your office, maybe?"

"Of course," Snape said, looking even more confuse, "But…"

"But what?" Draco said.

"I was just wondering why, exactly, _you_ are accompanying him," he said, breaking into his trademark smirk, "Surely, he's old enough to face the consequences of his actions alone. You _don't_ need to hold his hand- which I am quite confused as to why you suddenly feel the need to."

Harry blanched visibly at his harsh tone.

"Lupin didn't tell you anything, did he?" Draco said.

"Only that I'm to be the boy's lawyer," he replied.

Draco sighed. "Great. Alright, let's do this first and then you can ask your questions."

"Very well, come along," Snape said, standing and leading them into his office, "Take a seat, then."

Harry sat down obediently and Draco pulled a chair up next to him. Snape leaned against the desk in front of them, arms folded across his chest. He simply stared down his nose at them for a few moments before he spoke.

"Let's start with whether or not you actually stabbed your uncle," he said.

"I did," Harry replied in an eerily monotonous voice- a voice which had taken him the entire night to acquire the mental stability to use.

"Okay… did you do it purposefully?" Snape asked, and Harry noticed the little quill on his desk was taking notes.

"Yes," he said.

"Why?"

Harry opened his mouth to speak and choked on his words. He swallowed the lump in his throat, sighing. "To save my life."

Snape's eyes widened at this. He knew the boy was telling the truth. The small white quill next to him was charmed to turn green if any lies were spoken in the room. "Mr. Potter, I need you to tell me _exactly_ what happened that led to the attempted murder of Mr. Dursley."

Harry took a deep breath and began telling Snape the same story he had told, first Ron and Hermione, and then Draco.

"When I went back there this last summer, Uncle Vernon seemed even angrier than usual," he explained quietly, "I learned a little later that he had gotten a letter from Professor McGonagal to keep me safe, and she explained to him about how I'm considered the savior of our world and all that bull shit- excuse me." He blushed at his slip of the tongue. Snape excused him and told him to continue. "Anyway, she also told him that his family might be targeted by Voldemort because of their connection to me. I guess he felt that I was putting them all in danger just by existing… or something."

He paused to compose himself. This was the third time he'd explained it, but it wasn't getting any easier.

"So, I guess it started with threats the first week, and then he started getting- physical," Harry said, "Especially toward my birthday. I expected that kind of behavior from Dudley, but not _him_. He just started using me as his punching bag. It certainly didn't take much for him to beat the breath out of me… just a squeaky floorboard while they were watching television or laughing at something or- writing a letter."

If Severus Snape had been confused before, it was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. The boy had been _beat_? By his own family, even! He ran a hand over his face, sighing.

"He beat you for writing letters?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "He was always afraid I would tell somebody about how I was treated and they'd come and take him away."

"What happened that night?" he said.

"I was sleeping- it was almost midnight- and my aunt Petunia said that Vernon wanted to speak to me. I went downstairs and he was holding a letter from Molly Weasley that said they were coming to get me in the morning," Harry said, "He was- really mad. I hadn't said anything about anything, but he didn't believe me. He… he attacked me and started strangling me. He was yelling the entire time and calling me horrible things. Then he said that- before he killed me… he would get some- some use out of me…"

Draco saw the tears before they began to spill from his eyes, and he placed his hand on top of Harry's. He caught the raven haired boy's gaze and gave him a sympathetic smile, grasping his hand tightly. Harry turned his face back to Snape, wiping at his eyes in frustration.

"Sorry…" he said, "Anyway- he turned me around against the counter and… he- he… do I really have to continue?"

"I'm afraid so…" Snape said, looking as though he would have liked to say 'no' and then proceed to empty the contents of his stomach.

Harry sighed, pushing back his emotions. "He dropped my pants and ra- raped- me…" He turned his hand in Draco's to lace their fingers together, keeping his eyes trained on Snape. "The entire time he was still strangling me, and I knew that if I didn't do something, I was going to die. So- I started reaching around. I couldn't really see, because I was- crying… and I found something and just swung back at him. I didn't even know it was a knife until I turned around and saw it in my hand. So I dropped it next to my uncle's body, got my stuff, wrote a letter to Ron and Hermione, and left."

"Is that everything?" Snape asked.

"Yes," Harry said.

"Good," Snape replied, waving his wand at the quill so it would stop recording. When he turned back to them, he eyed their entwined fingers suspiciously.

Harry noticed what he was looking at and let go of Draco's hand quickly. He dropped his gaze to his lap, blushing. Why had he done that?

"I assume you've got some questions," Draco said, smirking, "So, go ahead and ask so we can get to dinner."

Snape raised an eyebrow at his impertinence. Though he was still processing what had just come out of Harry's mouth, he _was_ rather curious. "Why are you suddenly so- protective- of Mr. Potter, Draco? I haven't seen anything but complete hatred between the two of you in the past."

"I don't know. It gives me something entertaining to do," Draco said, shrugging, and then, laughing at the look on Harry's face, "Relax. I'm only kidding. I guess I don't exactly know the answer to that question."

"Very well, then my next question is for you, Mr. Potter," Snape said.

"Call me Harry," he interrupted.

Snape looked at him strangely. "Excuse me?"

"Call me Harry," he repeated with a little more confidence, "You call Draco by his first name, so- I figured it would be alright if you just called me Harry."

He looked mildly surprised. "Okay, Harry- why did you tell Draco about this incident, as I'm assuming you did?"

Harry shrugged. "I honestly couldn't tell you… though you could say it was out of spite."

"How so?" Snape asked.

"Well, all of our years at Hogwarts, he was the biggest, baddest guy in school," Harry explained, "And then he chases after me and has the gall to say that '_it can't be that bad_'- I guess I just snapped. I wanted to tell him just how _bad_ it really was… to show him that he was most definitely _not_ the biggest, baddest guy- that there was true evil in the world."

Draco winced at the memory. The sadistic smirk Harry had worn as he told his story was still clear in Draco's mind. He felt a sudden wave of guilt at having bullied Harry when they were younger… he had already been through so much. _'He's a lot stronger than anybody thinks…'_

"What kind of relationship do you two have?" Snape said, eying them.

"Friends," Harry answered quickly.

Snape saw the stubborn smirk that graced Draco's mouth and knew what he was thinking without the use of Legilimency. _'Not for long…'_

"I think that's enough for today," he said, "Every Wednesday and Friday you are to be here after dinner so that we can discuss your upcoming trial. Would I be correct if I said that Draco would be attending these meetings, as well?"

"Yes, sir," Draco replied.

"Thank you. Now, you should both get to dinner. I can hear Mr. Weasley's stomach growling from here," Snape said, making Harry laugh. He was startled at the sound and found himself smiling. Just maybe the boy was his father after all.

Harry and Draco said goodbye and left the room, leaving Snape to his thoughts.

!x!

Later that night they sat in the Gryffindor Common Room watching Hermione and Ron play wizarding chess- probably the only thing that Ron could best her at, besides Quidditch. At the same time, they were trying to ignore the continuous stares and whispers of the students. Word had gotten round the school throughout the day about the Slytherin is Gryffindor dorms, and Colin Creevey was, at the moment, snapping frantic photos for proof.

Harry sighed. "Colin!" he exclaimed, "If I hear that shutter click one more time, I'm going to shove that camera so far up your ass, you'll be spitting out the negatives!"

The clicking stopped and they heard a small mouse-like sound as Colin Creevey scurried up to his dorm.

"Thank Merlin!" Draco said, "I thought it'd never end!"

"You're welcome," Harry grumbled, "I'm going out, you guys." He stood, turning to leave.

"Where?" Hermione asked.

"To the Prefects bathroom," he said, turning back to grin at her, "I- persuaded- one of the Ravenclaw Prefects to give me the password after dinner."

"Harry!" she exclaimed indignantly, "What did you do?"

"Nothing much…" he said, his eyes twinkling at them, "Chill, Hermione, I just asked him."

Draco shook his head.

"I'm going to go take a bath now," he said.

"How are you going to get there without getting caught?" Draco asked, following him into the dorm.

"I have my ways," Harry said, pulling out his Invisibility Cloak and the Marauders Map.

"Wicked!" Draco said when he saw the cloak, "But what's that dirty old parchment good for?"

Harry grinned. "I've only shown this to Ron and Hermione, but I guess you're trustworthy. I solemnly swear I am up to no good. It shows everyone, everywhere, at every time."

"Really?" Draco said, raising an eyebrow, "So… can I go with you?"

"To take a bath…?" Harry replied.

"You don't have to be naked," Draco said, "We could just… swim around. But I have nothing to do and I'm not going back down _there_."

Harry grinned. "You could stay here…"

"Alone? How boring!" Draco exclaimed.

"Read a book or something," Harry suggested.

"I don't want to," Draco whined, "Please, let me go with you!"

Harry sighed. "Fine… Get your shoes. Bloody child."

They reached the Prefects bathroom with little incidence and slipped inside silently. They discarded their shirts, having changed before they left, and ran the water. They decided to run all of the taps, so that there were several layers of scented bubbles, foam, and fog hovering over the water. When it was filled, Harry turned off the taps and slid into the warm water, letting it sooth his exhausted body. He closed his eyes, relaxing against the side of the pool, sighing.

Draco watched Harry slide gracefully into the water and licked his lips subconsciously. Maybe this had been a bad idea… He smiled when Harry closed his eyes and sighed. _'He must be under a lot of stress… poor guy.'_

Harry heard a slight splash and opened his eyes to see Draco emerge from the water a few inches away from him. He pushed his platinum hair away from his face, smirking.

"Your glasses are going to rust," Draco said, closing the distance between them and removing the spectacles from Harry's face. He set them down near the tub and moved away, chuckling and the blush that crept into Harry's cheeks. He was _too_ cute when he was embarrassed.

Harry cleared his throat. "So… why did you come with me, again?"

"Because being alone is boring and the common room is scary," Draco answered.

"Right…" Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"How did you _really_ get the password out of the boy?" Draco asked, trying to keep the curiosity and possible jealousy out of his voice.

"I just gave him a good snog," Harry said, laughing, "No, but I _did_ promise I'd take a bath with _him_ sometime. Eager little bloke."

Draco narrowed his eyes, growling.

Harry's own eyes danced. "What's this? Jealousy? It's not as though you have any claim on me. If I want to be a tease, I'll be a tease… and if I want to bathe with an adorable little 6th year Ravenclaw, I damn well will. I bet he'd be a good shag, too…"

Draco shot through the water like a bullet, pressing Harry firmly against the wall of the tub with his body. "Listen here and listen well. I have _every_ claim on you, and you won't be bathing with anybody else anytime in the future."

Harry swallowed air, his eyes wide. "I _know_ that, Draco. I was just kidding… I really did ask him."

Draco saw the fear in his eyes and back up a bit. He hadn't realized… he sighed. He needed to keep a tighter reign on his instinctual possessiveness. He reached up to cup Harry's cheek in one hand, gently stroking it with his thumb.

"Don't be afraid of me, Harry," he said softly, "I would never hurt you, I promise. I'm sorry I scared you."

He nodded and Draco leaned down slightly to brush his lips against Harry's softly. When he pulled back and saw the mixture of confusion, curiosity, and lust smoldering in the green depths of Harry's eyes, he captured his lips in a more insistent kiss, pushing him into the wall again.

Harry felt Draco's lips pressing against his own and closed his eyes. He let himself drown in the sensations; the warm water, Draco's body against his, his lips, and his hands entangled in his messy hair. He snaked his own arms around Draco's waist, holding him in place even as he pulled away. Harry gazed up at him, bewilderment etched into his features. He didn't know if it was the kiss or the perfumed air, but he was suddenly light-headed.

How odd that the though of kissing anybody but Draco repulsed him. He still didn't know why the blonde was so special, but he did know that he still wasn't quite ready for a relationship. He had a lot to think about and work past before he reached his previous level of self-assurance.

He relinquished his hold on Draco, who backed up. "I'm sorry," Harry said, running a hand through his hair, "I don't mean to lead you on but…"

"I know," Draco interjected, pulling himself out of the water, "You're not ready for a relationship. I can wait. Let's go back… I'm tired."

X

END! (of chapter 6!) Hope you liked it! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Please? Lol. Next chapter up soon!


	7. Boxer Shorts

Okay! Chapter Seven! I'm kind of neglecting some of my other stories for this one… but hopefully I'll get new chapters for them up soon! Gah! I hate multitasking. So annoying…… Oh yes! It came to my attention, while re-reading books 1-6, that I made a small, but not entirely insignificant, mistake in one of my earlier chapters. I got the name of a character- one Theodore Nott- wrong. I called him Thomas… Oops! This is a mistake that I will be rectifying in all further chapters. Sorry folks!

Chapter Seven

X

Friday rolled along and Draco received a letter from McGonagal in regards to his and Hermione's rooms. They were to reside just up the hall from the Prefects bathroom, with a shared bath between their rooms. Ron had something to say about that and was only silenced when Harry reminded him that… Draco didn't like girls.

Draco hurriedly scribbled notes to the members of the G.A.S. They read; 'Every Saturday after dinner. Portrait of Salazar Slytherin near the Prefects' bath. Password is lemon drop. Burn this.' At dinner there were several small bonfires in the Great Hall, which made Harry smile.

"Harry," Hermione said, drawing his attention from the dancing flames in front of Neville, "Are you coming, too?"

"What? Where?" he asked.

She sighed. "To the rooms. Ron is going to help me unpack and hang out for a while afterward. Are you coming along, or not?"

"I've got that thing with Snape right after dinner, but then I'll be up," he said, grinning.

"Yeah, we'll be up after that," Draco said.

"Why are you going with him _again_?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because I want to," Draco replied, "And he wants me to."

Ron narrowed his eyes. "I find it rather odd that he wouldn't ask me or Hermione to go with him."

"Snape and Draco are old pals," Harry said, "I feel more comfortable around Snape with Draco there. You know- it's like 'the friend of a friend is a friend,' right?"

Hermione smiled, nodding her approval.

"See?" Harry said, "Hermione understands."

"Of course I understand," she retorted, "I'm a woman. We understand everything."

"Sure…" Draco said, rolling his eyes.

Harry stood, sighing. "Let's go and get this over with. We'll se you guys in a little bit."

"Alright, mate," Ron said, waving, "Have fun."

Harry laughed scathingly and Draco followed him out of the Great Hall. They walked down to Snape's office quickly, with little conversation. This was mostly due to the fact that Harry was trying to anticipate what he would be asked and how he would respond, and so Draco's few attempts to initiate dialogue went unnoticed. They stepped into the office to find Snape pacing in front of his desk. When he saw them he raised his eyebrows.

"I hadn't expected you so early," he said.

Well, we're here, so start talking," Draco said, smirking as they took their seats.

"Right," Snape said, "First of all, how long had the abuse been going on? You said… for all of last summer?"

"Actually, it's been an ongoing thing since I was old enough to think," Harry said, chuckling nervously, "The physical stuff is what started over the summer, I guess… although my cousin beat the tar out of me almost daily. I was kept in a cupboard under the stairs until I was eleven and I was always underfed. Sometimes I wasn't fed at all- for days or weeks at a time. The verbal abuse was an ongoing thing, too." He paused, grinning at them. "I was kind of like a modern day Cinderella. I cooked their meals, washed their clothes, cleaned their house…"

"Okay…" Snape said, clearly uncomfortable with learning so much about the boy's personal life.

"Wait a minute!" Draco exclaimed, "Did any of the teachers know about this?"

Harry nodded.

"And they kept sending you back there? Are they daft?" he said.

"That's enough, Draco," Snape snapped, "We have more important things to discuss."

Draco hung his head, still very clearly mad.

"Is that everything, Harry?" Snape asked.

"Yes, sir," Harry said.

"Good. Now, were there any witnesses to the incident?" Snape asked.

"Yeah, my aunt Petunia and my cousin Dudley," Harry replied, "I don't think either of them will testify, but you can try."

"I will and I'll tell you on Wednesday of Friday if I've received word from them," Snape said.

"Thanks," Draco said, standing, "Now, we should go. I still have to settle into my new room."

Harry stood and began following Draco out of the room.

"Just a moment," Snape said, "Harry, could speak with Draco for a second?"

Harry nodded, walking out and waiting just outside the door, which he left slightly ajar. If they talked about him, he wanted to know exactly what was said.

"Are you okay, Draco?" Snape asked.

"I'm fine," Draco insisted.

"Are you sure? It can't be easy to have lost both of your parents," Snape said.

There was silence and then, "Harry never really _had_ parents, did he?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Snape said.

"Nothing," Draco sighed, "Just- don't pity me."

"What are you talking about?" Snape asked.

"When you look at Harry, what do you see?" Draco asked abruptly.

"I see… I'm not sure anymore. I used to see a spoiled, arrogant little boy who thought himself above the rules- just like his father," Snape said, "But he's anything but spoiled… and he's so much more than his father."

Harry smiled to himself.

Draco chuckled. "Do you want to know why Harry always dives into dangerous situations? Why he always acts so strong? I know you think it's because he's self-important… but he thinks that you and the Order and the entire wizarding world expect him to single-handedly save us all and defeat the Dark Lord."

Snape scoffed. "Nonsense! We know he can't do it alone and we never expected him to."

"That's not how it seems… and that's not how he sees it," Draco said.

He sighed. "I _know_ he's been through a lot- more than any wizard I know- and I _do_ feel sympathy for him, but I need to know that you'll be okay."

"I'll be fine, I promise," Draco said.

"Good," Snape said, "Now, go."

Draco pulled the door open and Harry managed the most completely innocent face he had ever seen. He grinned. _'The little snoop…!'_

"Let's go," Harry said, walking quickly out of the classroom.

"How much did you hear?" Draco asked, catching up with him.

"Enough…" Harry answered, "All of it, actually. Are you mad?"

"No, I was hoping you _had_ heard it all," Draco said, "I didn't want to have to repeat the conversation."

Harry smiled. "He really cares about you. I'm glad you still have somebody."

"What about you? Who do you have?" Draco asked.

"I'm an unofficial Weasley," Harry replied, laughing, "Then there's Remus and Hagrid and McGonagal…"

"And Hermione," Draco added, grinning.

"Don't worry, though," Harry continued, "I'm sure they'll take to you just as well."

"God, I hope not!" Draco exclaimed in mock horror.

Harry laughed.

"Lemon drop," Draco said to the large, silver-framed portrait of Salazar Slytherin. It swung open to reveal a large room decorated in silver and a vibrant, emerald green that reminded Draco of his current companion's eyes. The furniture was simple but elegant, and included a king-sized four-poster bed with green satin bedclothes and curtains, a dark oak wardrobe, a sofa and large plush armchair upholstered in green with silver lining, and a full-body mirror framed in silver.

'_He'll definitely use that,'_ Harry thought with a smirk.

"Nice…" Draco said, smiling, "_Very_ nice. I'm impressed."

"You would be," Harry said, muttering something about 'prideful Slytherins'.

"Let's go see the bathroom," Draco said, pulling Harry by the wrist toward a large oak door like a small child in a toy store.

They bathroom was chiefly white marble, with gold fixtures save for the large black pool built into the floor. Harry assumed it was meant to be a bath, but that seemed to be an inadequate term for the massive hole in the floor. He noted that it was much larger than the Prefects' bath. _'It seems kind of- biased,'_ he thought, but shrugged it off, _'They work hard for their marks, so I guess it's well-deserved.'_

"This is perfect!" Draco said, "Look here. The bath can double as a Jacuzzi. Brilliant!"

Harry began to ask if there were Jacuzzis in the wizarding world, but was interrupted when Ron and Hermione entered the room.

"That was rather quick," Hermione said.

Harry shrugged. "There's not much left to talk about, is there?"

"I guess not…" she replied, "So, how do you like the bathroom?"

Draco smiled. "It's perfect."

"The Jacuzzi is a nice touch, don't you think?" Ron said, "It'll come in handy on those drafty winter nights, right 'Mione?"

She chuckled. "Maybe…"

"That's a piece of information I could have done without!" Draco exclaimed.

"Try listening to it all of the time!" Harry laughed.

"Well, let's get Draco settled, shall we?" Hermione said, walking into his room.

They followed her obediently and spent the next half-hour going through Draco's things and putting them away. Hermione was in charge, naturally, and Draco just watched most of the time, enjoying the sight of Harry smiling over some asinine joke that Ron had made. Even if he _was_ hurting on the inside, Harry seemed to be genuinely happy for the moment.

Harry picked something up, blushed, and threw it back into the trunk. He walked over to Draco. "You can put away your own knickers."

Draco burst into laughter. "That's just- you wear them yourself! It's not a _bra_ or anything, they're boxer shorts!"

"Yes, but they're not _mine_," Harry said, blushing even brighter, "It's not the same."

Draco grinned, reaching up and pinching his cheek lightly. "You're absolutely adorable when you're all flustered."

Harry batted his hand away. "I am _not_…" he muttered, "I just don't want to finger somebody else's drawers."

"Hey, Hermione," Ron said quietly, walking over to her, "Is it just me, or is there something going on between those two?"

"You're _just_ noticing?" she whispered, "Even Neville could see it!"

"Are you serious? Bloody hell…" Ron groaned, cursing himself for being such an idiot.

"What are you two whispering about?" Harry asked, while Draco shoved his boxers into the wardrobe.

"Nothing _you'd_ want to hear," Hermione said suggestively.

He wrinkled his nose at her. "Yeah… never mind."

"Alright, Harry," Draco said, "My knickers are all put away. You can look now."

"Shut up!" Harry exclaimed, throwing a sock at him.

Draco dodged it, laughing.

"Well," Hermione said, "Ron and I are going to go do our homework. You boys can entertain yourselves, can't you?"

Harry shrugged. "I guess…"

She grinned. "Oh, good. We'll be in my room, so the bathroom is all yours if you want it."

She dragged Ron into her room, leaving Harry and Draco alone. Harry blushed at her last comment, thinking back to the incident in the Prefects' bath. Draco grinned, thinking of the same event.

"So…" Harry said nervously, "How has- er- how has your day been?"

Draco chuckled. "It's been _grand_."

"Oh… me, too," he replied, twisting his hands behind his back.

"Why are you so nervous? We've been alone together before," Draco said, "Would you feel better if we were half-naked?"

Harry blushed. "N-No… this is fine…"

"Now, that's a damned shame. I was hoping we could test out the bath," Draco said smirking.

Harry blinked rapidly. "Excuse me?"

"Don't be so naïve," Draco cooed, approaching him slowly, "You know exactly what I'm talking about…"

"I honestly don't," Harry retorted, backing away from the blonde menace, "But you are really invading my personal space here."

Draco laughed. "Maybe that's my objective…"

"Let's go visit Hagrid!" Harry practically squealed, dashing past Draco and already heading out the door, "Come on!"

Draco rolled his eyes. _'Just when I think I'm making progress…'_

X

**Okay, that's the end of this chapter. I couldn't think of a title, so I just named it the first thing that came to my mind when I thought about this chapter. As that happened to be the scene with Draco's underwear… well, you get it! I know it's shorter than most of the others, but I wanted to get this out of the way. Oh, yes, and I promise that another steamy scene shall be arriving at any moment now… perhaps something to do with that handy Jacuzzi… See you next time! PoD11**


	8. Workaholic

Disclaimer: … don't own it… never will…

A/N: Wow… it's been a while. I'm a horrible person, I know! Actually, I'm just bad at multi-tasking. Enjoy!

XXXhdXXX

"Hullo, Harry! Didn' think you were coming ter see me today," Hagrid said as he and Draco approached, "An' I really didn' think ye'd be bringin' company…"

"Oh," Harry said, grinning, "Yeah, about that. See, Draco and I are… friends… I guess. He's not all that bad once you get past all that aristocratic fluff."

"Fluff?" Draco said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Shut up, you know what I mean," Harry said.

Hagrid watched the display closely and then smiled. "Well, then, any friend of Harry's is a friend o' Rubeus Hagrid! Welcome to the brood, Draco!"

Draco looked up at the huge man in surprise. "Just like that? After six years of acting like a complete git to all of you, I'm in- just like that?"

Hagrid thought about it for a moment. "I suppose it shouldn't be that easy… do you promise to never, ever hurt Harry?"

"Of course I'd never hurt him!" Draco said vehemently, offended that he would even suggest it.

"Okay, _now_ you're in," Hagrid said, beaming at him.

Draco blinked stupidly, making Harry laugh. "That's just how Hagrid is," Harry whispered, "His heart's far too large for his own good."

Draco chuckled. "That's putting it mildly…"

"So, what brings you here, Harry?" Hagrid asked.

"Actually, I was wondering if you had any yard-work you'd like done," Harry said.

"Yard-work? On a beautiful day like this? Shouldn't you be enjoying it like the other students?" Hagrid suggested.

"I want to _do_ something… weeding, planting, replanting… just give me something to do," Harry said, "I've gotten so used to working everyday that I feel lazy if I haven't done something productive."

"I don't know about yard-work, but Professor Sprout asked me to move those bags of manure to Greenhouse 3 for her, if you want to do that," Hagrid said, sighing in defeat.

Harry smiled at him. "Thanks, Hagrid. Draco, do you want to help or sit and talk with Hagrid over tea?"

Draco raised an elegant eyebrow at him. "I'll take the talking and tea, thanks."

"You're such a posy," Harry said.

"I prefer the term _delicate_, thank you very much," Draco said, laughing at how pathetic that sounded.

"Whatever. I'll be done in a bit," Harry said, walking over to the mountain of sacks, "Enjoy your tea, Draco!"

"Oh, I will!" he retorted.

Hagrid chuckled. "I'll go see to that tea, then. You just have a seat here in one o' those chairs."

"Thanks," Draco said, sitting down and watching Harry haul two of the bags over his shoulder effortlessly.

When Hagrid came back with the tea about ten minutes later, Harry was about one fourth of the way through the mountain, and he'd already begun sweating profusely. As Draco took the cup from Hagrid, Harry pulled his shirt up over his head, wiping the sweat off his face with it before tossing it away. He hauled two more bags to the greenhouse, all too aware of the many pairs of eyes that followed him, including the eyes of a certain blonde Slytherin.

"Harry's always been like that, you know," Hagrid said conversationally, "He's always had to be doing something. Doesn't like feeling useless, I guess. Anyway, he likes helping me out… though I wish he'd spend some time on himself, y'know what I mean? Take a day off and whatnot."

"So, he never has any fun?" Draco asked skeptically.

"No, I never said that. Sure- he has fun with Hermione and Ron and his friends, but he's always got that look in his eyes where you know he's thinking about what he has to do, and what he _can_ do, and what he wishes he could do," Hagrid said, "Ever since his first year, he's had a lot of unfair expectations slapped on him, so he's hardly ever let himself just be a kid."

"Hmm…" Draco said, still watching Harry.

Harry knew Draco and Hagrid were talking about him. He could always tell when people talked about him, because it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Of course, that could just be paranoia…

He continued hauling the bags to the greenhouse, keeping a rather steady pace. He finished sooner than he thought, and was interrupted on his way back by a group of 5th, 6th, and 7th year girls. He grinned at them, just as he'd grinned at the girl at Privet Drive earlier that summer- in that way that made them blush and giggle like mad.

"Um… we were wonder- that is _I_ was wondering… if maybe… you'd, er, like to go to Hogsmeade with me… next weekend…" a girl that Harry recognized as a 6th year Ravenclaw by the name of Samantha said.

Harry opened his mouth to politely decline when Draco sauntered over, flashing the girls a brilliant smile before turning to Harry. "Harry, are you done? We never did finish- putting our things away. Let's go back to the room," he said, then lowered his voice a bit, but left it so that he knew he'd be heard by the girls, "Besides… you could probable use a bath, am I right?"

Harry blushed even darker than the group of girls. "Erm… right! Sorry, Samantha, but I can't go to Hogsmeade with you."

"He's going with me," Draco said, placing an arm around Harry's waist and pulling him away. The girls squealed and ran off, babbling- quite loudly- about "how absolutely hot that was!"

"What do you think you're doing?" Harry asked, still slightly confused.

"Saving you from being forced to break that poor girl's heart," Draco replied, "And now I'm going to take you to the bath." He called over his shoulder to Hagrid, "Thanks for the tea! It was nice talking to you!"

Hagrid grinned. "It was no problem! See ya 'round, Harry!"

Harry waved goodbye. "Now, why are you taking me to the bath?"

"Because you stink," Draco said.

"Yes, I know that, but why are _you_ taking me to the bath? I'm pretty sure that I'm capable of bathing myself," Harry said.

"Yes, but it's so much more fun to bathe together," Draco purred, "Wouldn't you say?"

Harry's eyes widened and he broke from Draco's hold. "I'll just go by myself! It's better that way…" he said quickly, sprinting away from him toward their room.

Draco shook his head, taking off after him. _'Damn it! I've gone and scared him- **again**! Why can't I ever seem to keep my mouth shut!' _

!x!

Okay… that was almost sickeningly short. I'm so sorry! I'll get straight to work on the next chapter, I promise! A bientot!


	9. Beginning

Disclaimer: I totally don't own it. I also totally don't know why we have to do these things. We all know that JKR isn't going to sue us... she's far too nice and she enjoys reading these far too much... (you should hear what she says about fanfiction on her official website. lol)

A/N: You have no idea how sorry I am that this took so long! I almost lost my inspiration for this story... but it's back! My plot bunny just- went on vacation... right.

Chapter Nine

XXXhdXXX

Draco finally caught up with Harry outside of the Prefect's bath. He grabbed the boy's wrist to keep him from going any further, trying to catch his breath. When he looked up, he saw tears shimmering in Harry's beautiful emerald eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, not even knowing for what he was apologizing.

Harry tried to tug his wrist out of Draco's grasp. "Let me go. I need a bath..."

Draco shook his head, pulling Harry into his room. "You can use mine. Don't worry. I won't bother you..."

Harry saw a look of hurt pass over Draco's face for a fleeting moment before the blonde dropped his wrist and turned away. He wanted to tell Draco that it wasn't like he thought. He wanted to put his arms around him and assure him that he could never bother him. He wanted to shower that perfect face with kisses and run his fingers through his gorgeous platinum hair. However, he only turned and walked into the Heads' bathroom, shutting the door lightly.

He sank into the water and sighed. There were so many things that he wanted to do with Draco... that he wanted to give him. No matter what he did, though, he couldn't seem to act on his emotions. _'Damn!'_ he thought, sinking lower into the water, _'Damn him for making me feel like this! And- damn Vernon for... ruining me for anybody else!'_ He sighed again and shook the thoughts from his head, washing quickly and performing a quick spell on his clothes to clean them.

When he stepped out of the bathroom, he scanned the room for Draco. Not seeing him, he walked over to the perfectly made bed, getting a strange feeling of satisfaction from jumping onto the clean sheets and tossing them about. He turned onto his stomach, burying his face in one of the pillows.

He inhaled deeply, wishing that the object smelled like Draco and not the impersonal scent of laundry soap. He felt the tears escape before he even realized that they were gathering. Eventually, he drifted into a light sleep, still thinking of blonde hair and cool, blue-grey eyes.

Draco came back nearly an hour later to find Harry still sleeping, curled around a pillow. He smiled fondly, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. It was then that he noticed the tear-streaks on his face and the way that he was clutching the pillow. He placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, but the moment he touched him, Harry sprang from the bed, his eyes wide and fearful.

"Harry, calm down," Draco said soothingly, standing up, "It's just me…"

Recognition passed over his face and he relaxed visibly. "I- I thought you were…"

"He can't get you here," Draco said, stepping around the bed and pulling Harry into his arms, "And even if he woke up tomorrow and found some way to get here, I'd kill him before he could ever lay a hand on you."

Harry smiled, relaxing even more in Draco's strong, protective embrace. These were not arms that meant to harm him. This was not Vernon. It was Draco. Harry looked up at him, studying his angelic face. Draco wanted to protect him. He had spent so long protecting everybody else, he had forgotten what it was like to feel- safe. Actually, he had never really felt safe. Not living with Vernon. _'And Draco is **nothing** like Vernon.'_

"Draco?" he said quietly.

"Hmm?" Draco said.

"Do you- that is, would you…" he stumbled over what to say, blushing, "I mean, I wanted to ask- I…"

"Harry?" Draco's brow furrowed in confusion. Why was Harry blushing? _'Unless…'_

He buried his face in Draco's shoulder, breathing in his calming scent. "I want a relationship…" he said in a barely audible whisper.

"Really?" Draco asked, surprised.

Harry nodded. "With you."

Draco smiled brilliantly, tightening his arms around the small boy. "I was wondering when you'd admit it."

Harry blushed again. "Smug."

"You bet," Draco said, "Get used to it."

"I guess I'll have to," he said, "I think I can handle your many faults."

"I'll have you know that I have no faults," Draco said, "I am perfect in every possible way."

Harry scoffed. "Whatever you say."

"Exactly," Draco said, "You see? You agree with me."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Um… Draco, have you seen Harry?" Hermione said coming into the room.

"As a matter of fact, I have," Draco replied, grinning.

Hermione chuckled. "I see…"

"Were you looking for me for very long?" Harry asked.

"Not me- Ron," Hermione said.

Harry sighed. "Of course… you'd think he was my father."

"Rather protective, eh?" Draco asked.

"Only a lot," Hermione said, then called over her shoulder, "Ron! I found him!"

Draco released Harry, unsure of whether he wanted Ron to know. Harry looked up at him dejectedly. "What's wrong?"

"I- didn't think you'd want him to know about us," Draco said.

"Well, you were wrong," Harry said, "I don't care who knows. I'm happy. If my friends are really my friends, then they'll be happy that I'm happy."

Draco smirked, rewrapping his arms around him. Harry turned around and placed a quick kiss on Draco's lips, just as Ron stepped into the room.

"What the bloody hell is _that_?" Ron exclaimed.

XXXhpdmXXX

I'm sorry that it's so short. I'll try to make the next one longer. Until next time- which hopefully won't be so long- TTFN.


	10. Visits

Disclaimer: I don't own it… Gods, I hate these things…

A/N: OMFG! I am SOOO sorry it's been so long. BUT! I have good reasons… heh… Yeah, so I kind of lost ALL inspiration for any story except this one idea that was running through my head so I had to write all that down and on top of that, I recently moved and all of my stuff was on my mom's computer and I've been having a hell of a time getting it all transferred… but now I'm back and in action and I hope you all can forgive me and still enjoy the story!

X

Chapter 10 (finally)

X

"_What the bloody hell is _that_?" Ron exclaimed._

"Er… a kiss?" Harry said, blushing furiously.

"Well, obviously, but… but…" Ron stuttered, not even sure of what he was trying to say.

"Didn't we already discuss this?" Hermione said, arching an eyebrow at her boyfriend.

Ron flushed. "Yeah, but… still… after what happened, Harry? You still feel like doing- stuff? You're not completely turned off of guys forever?"

Harry blushed deeper. "It was just a kiss… we're not- shagging- y'know? It's not like I've just suddenly bounced back… and- he's- er… I mean- Draco's not _him_…"

Draco tightened his arms around him. "See what you've done? You've made him uncomfortable."

"Ron!" Hermione said, "I can't believe you would bring that up! He was so happy just before you came into the room."

"I'm sorry, Harry," Ron said quickly, "I really didn't mean to upset you, I'm just- worried about you… I don't want you to be pushed into anything."

Harry gave him a watery smile. "Thanks, Ron. Honestly, though, this is something I want. Draco knows his boundaries…"

"Of course I do!" Draco sniffed, "I'm perfect, remember?"

Harry rolled his eyes, elbowing the blonde in the side. "Enough of that, already!"

Hermione giggled and Ron smiled at the affectionate display.

Harry slipped out of Draco's arms and headed for the door. "I'm going to go change before dinner. I'll see you all in the Great Hall."

Before anybody could protest he shut the door behind him and ran to the Gryffindor Tower. He changed into a pain of baggy dark blue pair of jeans that hung loosely on his hips, a semi-tight black t-shirt, and a pair of black Docs. Grinning at his reflection, he walked back into the common room and stopped for a moment to talk to Seamus and Dean, who were cuddling adorably on the sofa. He finally made his way down to the Great Hall with Seamus and Dean accompanying him to find his friends already waiting for him.

He smiled at them, taking a seat between Hermione and Draco. "Hey guys…"

Draco grinned. "You got some mail."

"Isn't it a bit late for the post?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, but you got it anyway," Draco replied.

He was handed a package and a letter. The package was about a foot tall and five inches wide. He smirked when he saw the handwriting on the envelope and tore it open.

'_Harry,  
Hey kid! I sent you your bloody pack. I bet you're dying without them. I got a little something else, as well. Something that you may find useful. Feel free to share! After all, the more the merrier, right? Tell Draco I say hi and that he better be taking good care of you. I still have those painfully large rods if he ever screws up too badly. Things are boring around here without you, and I fully expect a visit over the hols. Make sure you're taking care of yourself. I'd hate to have to show up unexpectedly at every meal and force feed you in front of all of your friends. Don't let yourself get too down, okay? Everything will turn out just fine, as long as you've got the support of those who love you. Remember, that includes me! Hope Hogwarts is treating you well.  
Much Love,  
Trina'_

He smiled. She always knew exactly what to say, even when she wasn't around. He stowed the letter in his pocket and decided to save the package for later. He didn't think his friends or the professors would take too well to his smoking or a strange woman sending him liquor.

"What's so entertaining?" Ron asked.

"Yes, do share," Draco added.

"Oh, nothing," he replied, "Just… I have the perfect thing for the first meeting of the school year, tomorrow."

"Oh really," Draco said, arching an eyebrow at him, "I look forward to it."

His thoughts wandered back to how relaxed Seamus and Dean had looked in the common room. His face fell when he thought about just how long it would take him to be comfortable enough to do simple things like cuddle with Draco. He was just barely comfortable with Draco holding him and light, chaste kisses. If he was completely honest with himself, thought, he was more comfortable with Draco than he'd like to admit. He didn't even know why he felt so different with Draco than other people, but he figured it had something to do with the way he offered everything he had, all of his comfort and support, without asking for anything in return.

He sighed. _'I feel really selfish,'_ he thought, glancing at Draco, who smiled warmly at him, _'He's been giving me everything I need… even space… and I haven't given him anything except one measly kiss. I wish I could give him more, but… I just can't. Not yet…'_

He excused himself, not even sparing a glance at the food on the table, and walked out of the Great Hall. He walked out of the castle and headed toward the large white tomb that rested near the lake. He stopped just a foot short of it and sighed, placing a hand against the cool surface.

"Hey…" he said softly, "I'm sure you already know about- everything. Old codger… you knew everything, didn't you?" He blinked back tears, turning his gaze skyward. "I don't understand anything anymore. I can't believe that you would have begged for death. You were so strong. Without you here, I just- I don't know what to do. Sometimes, I feel like… there's no hope…" The tears fell of their own accord and smiled ruefully. "Damn it. Everything is so confusing. I'm in a relationship with Draco Malfoy and I think I may be getting soft on your killer. Can nothing in my life be simple?" He scoffed. "That was a stupid question, huh?"

He stood in silence for a few more moments before turning to go back inside. However, before he could take two steps, he felt several stunning spells hit him from behind with no warning. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

When he came to, the first thing he realized was that he was bound to something hard, and the second was that he was not alone. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he looked around himself. He gasped when he saw the graves. He was back in the cemetery… one place he'd hoped he would never have to return to.

He turned his gaze to the people surrounding him. Death Eaters. _'Perfect…'_ he thought, rolling his eyes, _'Wonder where Tom is… can't have a party without him.'_

As if on cue, he heard the crack of apparation and he looked to the right to see the bane of his existence striding toward him. He chuckled slightly at the arrogant way in which the man carried himself. The cocky little smirk that was a trademark of all Slytherins firmly in place, even when he spoke to his followers.

"I see you have brought me what I wished. I am greatly pleased," he sneered, "Your constant failure to apprehend the boy was beginning to worry me. Tell me… where did you find him?"

"Visiting the tomb of his dead mentor," an eerily familiar aristocratic drawl stated.

'_Lucius…?'_

"Dumbledore, eh? Pity the old fool had to go in such a way… betrayed by somebody he trusted," Tom said.

"As much as I enjoy listening to the sound of your voice, Tom," Harry said, "Is there a reason you wanted to see me?"

"Ah, Harry! Can't forget about you, can we?" Tom scowled, "As a matter of fact, I just wanted to talk."

"Then would you mind releasing me? My arms are beginning to feel awfully stiff," he said dramatically.

"Of course." With a wave of his wand, Tom released Harry, who rolled his shoulders gratefully.

"We'll have to keep this short, I'm afraid," he said, "Draco will be worried if I'm away for too long."

Several Death Eaters gasped, making Harry smirk in satisfaction.

"Are you very special to him?" Tom asked.

"With all due respect, my Lord, I know my son, and he would never stoop so low as to consort with _Harry Potter_," Lucius said, spitting his name out as though it were some incurable disease.

"Silence! I don't believe I was addressing _you_," Tom snapped.

"We're friends… maybe more, maybe less," Harry said, shrugging as though it were of no importance to him.

"I see…" Tom said thoughtfully.

"I really should be getting back," Harry said, knowing that it wouldn't be that easy.

"Oh no, Harry," Tom said, "I'm afraid we're not done here."

"Really? Was there something more you wished to discuss?" he asked, all the while moving slowly away from the man.

"Yes, there is," Tom replied, "Something that I recall reading this summer. Something about you murdering your own uncle?"

Harry froze in mid-step.

"I see I've struck a chord. So, tell me, Harry… did you do it in cold blood, or was it self defense, as I believe it was," Tom asked.

He remained silent, nearly shaking in fear. No… this couldn't be happening. He wasn't supposed to bring that up. He was supposed to shoot a curse at his back… demand a duel… anything but _that_.

'_Why can't I move? I can't freeze up… MOVE, HARRY!'_ his mind screamed at him. He finally turned to face the snake-like man, his eyes flashing pure hatred.

"I don't believe I want to continue this topic of conversation," he said softly.

"Oh, but we're all rather curious," Tom said, scowling, "What did he do, Harry?"

"Shut up," he growled.

"Tell us what the filthy muggle did, Harry," Tom said, "They're all like that, you know. Filthy, dirty, perverted people…."

His eyes widened. He knew? How could he… _'Legilimency… damn! I never should have quit Occlumency lessons.'_

Tom walked up to Harry until he was mere inches away and looked down into the boy's large green eyes. "We can destroy him together, Harry. We can destroy all of them. They're disgusting… polluting our world with their demented ways. The way they treat their own family…" He smirked. "Well, it's just not right, is it?"

He remained silent. He wouldn't become a murderer. Not ever. He shook his head.

"What, Harry? Speak up, what is it you want to say?" Tom snapped.

"I won't- be a… murderer," he said, "I'm not like _you_."

"Not like me, eh? Tsk… too bad," Tom said, turning to his Death Eaters, "Do you want to know what that filthy muggle did to his own nephew? His own family? The infamous _Boy-Who-Lived_… subjected to such horrors at the tender age of seventeen…"

A chorus of laughs went up through the crowd. He could feel them leering at him and it made his skin crawl. He heard the words coming out of Tom's mouth and he felt his long suppressed rage begin to bubble to the surface. He wouldn't let him tell his secret! He couldn't! He had no wand, so he went with his first instinct. He lunged at the shell of a man, tackling him to the ground and landing several punches on his misshapen face.

Once the Death Eaters got over their initial shock at seeing the boy resort to physical violence, they pulled him off of their Lord. They pushed him to the ground, though only after a rather brutal fight, and Harry felt his head strike several stones, sending pain shooting through his skull. Two of the stronger Death Eaters kept him pinned while the others moved back a bit to watch the scene unfold from a safe distance.

"Well, well, well…" Tom said, standing and wiping the trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, "Resorting to muggle methods? Tsk… I thought you were better than that."

"Shut the fuck up, you bloody bastard!" Harry screamed.

"_Crucio!"_ He screamed in agony as the Unforgivable hit him squarely in the chest, filling every fiber of his being with searing, white hot pain. It went on for what felt like eternity before Tom lifted the curse and shook his head at the boy.

"Such language… perhaps your uncle did not teach you anything after all," Tom sneered, "Maybe my faithful Death Eaters would do a better job?"

"You wouldn't dare…" he hissed, narrowing his eyes.

"Wouldn't I?" Tom said casually, "I'm sure more than a few of these men would thoroughly enjoy you."

Several Death Eaters chuckled lecherously, making Harry wince.

"After all… we should at least get some use out of you before I kill you," Tom said, smirking.

Harry gasped, remembering the same words coming out of his uncle's mouth. "Let me go…" he said, struggling against his captors, "Let me go!"

"Oh, come now, Harry," Tom said, "No need to get so flustered. After all, you're hardly a virgin anymore…"

He stilled, looking up at him in fear.

"Do it, Maxwell," Tom said, waving his hand.

Harry watched one of the Death Eaters come forward and began his struggle anew. With a whispered spell his arms were bound over his head and his captors began to remove his clothing. He kicked and flailed, making it nearly impossible for them to get them off properly, so they shredded his shirt instead.

He panicked when Maxwell began to unbutton his trousers and kicked him in the stomach viciously. The man growled, holding his stomach with one hand and using the other to slap Harry across the face with such force that he left behind a long gash that bled profusely.

His trousers were pulled down around his ankles, effectively binding his legs together, and he was turned onto his stomach, his face pressed into the dirt and stones. When he felt the cool night air hit his bare bottom and the tip of the Death Eaters member press into him, he screamed. Without warning, his wand flew into his hand and he apparated away with a loud crack.

Thankfully, he landed just outside of the gates to Hogwarts. He wasted no time in yanking his pants up and walking back toward the castle. The tears came unbidden when he realized how close he'd been to a repeat of his uncle… He broke into a sprint, needing to see Ron and Hermione and…

"Draco…" The name came as a whisper as he sped up, ignoring the pain his left leg, which he was sure was injured in the scuffle with the Death Eaters.

He figured nobody was at dinner as he had been gone for at least an hour, so he headed instead for the 'Heads' Rooms'. He ignored the stares and questions that were directed at him as he ran through the halls. He even chose to ignore the professors and their instructions for him to "walk in the halls". One professor, in particular, did _not_ like being ignored, and stalked after the blur of a boy.

He finally reached the portrait of Salazar Slytherin and came to a halt, panting for breath.

"Lemon drop," he said quickly.

The portrait swung open and he hurried up to the rooms. Even before he reached them he could hear the screaming.

"Calm down? Ronald Weasley! How can tell me to calm down when Harry's been missing for almost four hours?" Hermione shrieked.

"I'm just saying that he's probably- fine…" Ron said, though the slight hitch in his voice betrayed his true thoughts.

"You all can stop shouting now… I'm here," Harry said, leaning on the wall for support.

"Harry!" they exclaimed, turning to gape at him.

"Oh my- what happened?" Hermione asked, taking his dirty, bloody, bruised appearance, ripped clothes, and the tears mingling with the blood and dirt on his face.

"Would you believe me if I said I fell?" he asked.

Draco rushed forward to catch him as his legs collapsed underneath him. "What _really_ happened?"

He smiled weakly. "Voldemort… happened…" He felt so tired… his body was impossibly sore and felt much too heavy. Of course, after being beaten to a pulp by a group of Death Eaters, subjected to the Cruciatus Curse, beaten some more, nearly raped- again-, using the last of his magical strength to summon his wand and apparate away, and then running to the rooms on pure adrenaline… well, it was a wonder he hadn't passed out yet. _'That sounds like a wonderful idea…'_ he thought, and then promptly lost consciousness.

"Would somebody care to explain to me what is going on here?" Severus Snape said from the doorway.

"Actually, Professor… we don't know either," Hermione said.

"All we know," Ron added, "Is that Harry has been missing since dinner and he just showed up, looking seven kinds of beat up."

"I see…" Severus said, "Draco, you should get him into a bath. Those cuts need to be cleaned and it would probably serve to replenish his energy. After that, I want him to eat something and get plenty of rest. I'll be back in a bit with some potions and to perform some tests for broken bones." With that, he swept from the room, leaving Hermione and Ron shocked.

"Why wouldn't he get Madame Pomfrey?" Hermione asked.

"Sev's a strange guy. He probably realizes that taking Harry to Pomfrey would only cause a load of attention, which we all know is not something Harry enjoys," Draco said, already carrying Harry to the bathroom, "Hermione, could you possibly…?"

She smiled at him. "Of course."

"What? Could she what?" Ron asked.

She rolled her eyes, sighing. "Honestly, Ron… he wants me to help with Harry."

"Why can't he do it himself?" Ron said.

"For Merlin's sake!" she exclaimed, "I'll explain later!"

She followed Draco into the bathroom and together they managed to get Harry undressed- though that was done mostly by Hermione while Draco turned away- and into the large bathtub. They transfigured their clothes into swimming suits and jumped into the water with him just as he began to wake.

"Where am I?" he asked, putting a hand to his throbbing temple.

"Bath," Draco answered simply, "How do you feel?"

"Weak and in pain," he replied, "Why am I in the bath?"

"Because you're filthy," Hermione said, taking off his glasses and running a soapy wash cloth over his face.

He sighed in contentment, sinking lower into the steamy water. "Okay, so why am I in the bath with you two?"

"Do you honestly think you could wash yourself?" Draco asked, sitting next to Harry on the ledge.

"No… but Hermione seems to be doing all of the work. What's your purpose?" he retorted, smiling as the soap was massaged into his shoulders and arms.

"Moral support?" Draco said with a grin.

Harry chuckled. "Hermione… you're really good at this. You should be a nurse or a masseuse or something."

She giggled. "Thank you, Harry, but I think I'd rather not. Now be quiet and let us pamper you."

"Yes, Mum," he said, leaning against Draco and mumbling, "Don't know why I'm so bloody tired…"

Draco smiled fondly at the mop of raven hair, aware of Hermione's knowing smirk.

When she had worked her way to Harry's legs she turned to Draco. "Make yourself useful and wash his hair, would you?"

Draco smirked and somehow maneuvered Harry into his lap so that he could pour water over his head and begin to work the shampoo into the boy's hair and scalp.

"What're you doing?" Harry asked sleepily.

"Washing your hair. Shut up," Draco said softly.

"Mm-hmm…" Harry murmured, enjoying the feel of Draco's strong hands massaging the plum scented shampoo into his aching head. He relaxed under his and Hermione's ministrations, feeling some of the pain fade away. The shampoo was rinsed out and replaced with the matching conditioner. When they were finally done, they pulled him out of the bath and Hermione made Draco fetch some of his pajamas for her to dress Harry in. They were a few sizes too big, but they would have to do.

Draco carried him back into the room and laid him carefully on the bed, smiling when he immediately latched onto one of his pillows. He sighed in disappointment that it still didn't smell like Draco, but reveled in the fact that he was once again in the blonde's bed. He smiled and hugged the pillow tighter.

"What a kid…" Hermione said affectionately, sitting on the edge of the bed and stroking his hair gently.

"You really are like his mum," Draco said, rolling his eyes.

"Or a big sister…" Ron added.

"Of course I am," she said defensively, "Somebody has to take care of him. Of _all_ you boys."

Draco chuckled. "She does have a point."

Ron scowled at him. "Traitor…"

Hermione laughed. "Thank you, Draco." She pulled the covers up over Harry when he began to shiver and smiled again. "So, which one of you wants to go and get him something to eat?"

"Why don't we just call a house elf?" Draco asked.

"Don't get her started," Ron whispered, "I'll do it."

"But it really would be much easier and faster to just call a house elf," Draco said, snapping his fingers.

Dobby appeared immediately. "What can I do for you… Mr. Malfoy…?"

"Hello, Dobby," Draco said, smiling, "It's nice to see you."

"Really?" the little elf said, hope shining in his eyes.

"Of course! Now, I want you to bring us a tray of Mr. Potter's favorite foods, please," he said.

"Harry Potter is _here_?" Dobby said in shock.

"Please hurry, Dobby, it's important that he eat as soon as he can," he said warmly.

"Of course! Anything for Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby squeaked, popping away.

Hermione looked at Draco reproachfully. "I suppose you were brought up that way… at least you were nice to him…"

"Of course I was nice to him. I'm not my father," Draco said.

Hermione seemed to accept this and smiled, going back to stroking Harry's hair and back soothingly.

"Why do you do that, even after he's fallen asleep?" Draco asked.

"Contact like this keeps his nightmares at bay," she replied, "Right now I want him to get a good, restful sleep, and for that he needs to know that he's not alone and he's safe."

"Nightmares?" Draco said, raising an eyebrow.

"Harry's witnessed a lot of death in his life, and a lot of sorrow," she said sadly, "It's only natural for him to have nightmares. I'd be worried if he _didn't_."

Draco was about to reply, but was cut off when the door opened rather loudly and Severus walked in.

"What's wrong, Sev?" Draco asked.

"You'll never guess who I just got a visit from," he said, scowling.

"Who?" Draco asked.

"Hello, son…"

X

Okay! The length of this one is to make up for the last couple of chapters, which were pathetically short and boring. I hope that this was makes up for all that… I spent the last two nights doing nothing but writing as I was suddenly struck with this giant wave of inspiration. It seems that my muses have returned to me and all of my inspiration is suddenly back tenfold! I'm rather excited and hope to continue updating at a steady pace! Until next time (which hopefully won't take as long ) A bientot!


	11. Long Day

Standard disclaimer applies

A/N: Yay Inspiration! The newest installment in this fic! I'd really like some more reviews, but regardless of that I will continue to write, because even though I don't have as many reviews as I'd like, I know you guys still read it and enjoy it. It is evident in the number of people who have this story on their alerts and in their favorites! Thank you for not losing hope! Enjoy!

Chapter 11

X

"Father," Draco said, his face falling into his impassive mask. He noticed the way Ron tensed up as soon as he saw the elder Malfoy and inwardly sighed. _'Please don't let him do anything stupid!'_ he prayed.

"It appears that what Mr. Potter said at this evenings meeting was true," Lucius said, looking at his son with disdain, "You two really are- _friends_."

Draco felt fear and panic rising in his stomach and he fought to keep it down. "Harry was at the meeting?"

"Oh, yes," the man sneered, a sadistic glint in his eyes, "It was especially- festive- with him there to entertain us…"

"What did you do to him?" Hermione said, her voice dangerously low.

"I, personally, did nothing but watch. Although we did learn some interesting facts about the boy…" Lucius smirked, "Regarding his uncle."

"Leave. Now," Hermione growled.

"Miss Granger, I never would have expected such manners from an upstanding young witch like yourself," Lucius said, "Besides, you have no reason to be so hostile with me. I couldn't very well jump to his rescue, could I?"

"Pardon?" Draco said, "Why would _you_ jump to his rescue to begin with?"

"I don't particularly care for- those types of activities, for one," Lucius stated, "And for another thing, I do not wish for my only hope for freedom to be killed."

"What types of activities?" Hermione asked, her voice shaking.

"Would you like me to draw you a picture, Miss Granger?" Lucius sneered, "Thankfully, the boy had just enough power to retrieve his wand and apparate out of there."

"Lucius?" Severus said, drawing their attention back to him, "Does this mean that you have deflected?"

"It means neither this, nor that," Lucius said, "I merely wish to look out for me and my family."

Severus raised an eyebrow at him.

"Don't even try Legilimency on me, Severus, you know that my mind is too strong for you to penetrate. Do you still not trust me?" Lucius said.

"_No_," Draco said, surprising them all, "I know that you're up to something, father, and I mean to find out exactly what it is."

"Draco…" Harry said, sitting up stiffly. They all turned to him and Hermione rushed to his side to help him sit more comfortably. "Everybody deserves a second chance."

"Do you see that, Draco?" Lucius said smugly.

Draco scowled at his father before turning back to Harry. "I know my father, Harry, and he is a _very_ good actor. We can't trust him."

Harry smiled warmly. "I said the same thing about you and Severus, remember?"

"That's different," Draco insisted.

"How?" he asked, "Draco, give your father a chance. He may have actually changed."

Draco sighed, realizing that he was fighting a losing battle. "Very well. However, I still don't trust him."

"Will you be staying long, Mr. Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"Just until the end of the week. I persuaded Minerva to let me stay and catch up with Draco on the condition that I don't get in the way of his studies," Lucius said.

"So, how did you get out this time, Father?" Draco asked.

"Of course, the ministry realized that they had made a mistake and released me of their own accord," Lucius said.

"But… you _were_ at the meeting tonight," Draco said, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"Draco, I only continue to attend the meetings in order to ensure that you come to no harm," Lucius said, finally allowing some concern to show in his expression, "If I suddenly stopped showing up, the Dark Lord would surely come for you to lure me back to his inner-circle. And I will _not_ have the last of my family placed in danger because of my own cowardice. I assure that when the time comes for the final battle, I will not be fighting alongside the Death Eaters."

Draco was taken aback by his father's show of emotion and could only nod slowly.

Harry smiled. "I'm glad to hear it."

"I'm sure you have some things to discuss, so I believe I will retire," Lucius said, "Draco, would you please join me for breakfast tomorrow? Feel free to bring Mr. Potter if you wish."

"Sure…" Draco said uncertainly, "But… where are your quarters?"

"Right next to Severus'," Lucius said, "Good evening."

They said their goodbyes and Lucius left, shutting the door softly on his way out.

Harry grinned at Draco.

"Shut up, Potter," he said, "I still don't trust him."

Harry sighed, still smiling, and shook his head at the stubborn blonde.

In the next moment, Dobby appeared with a tray full of food, positively beaming. The elves in the kitchen had indeed piled all of Harry's favorite foods onto the tray. Roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, raspberry tea, and strawberry tart. His mouth watered as Dobby handed the tray to Hermione.

"Thank you so much, Dobby. I hadn't realized how hungry I am until just now," Harry said.

"We is remembering your favorites, Harry Potter, sir?" Dobby asked.

Harry nodded, smiling.

"The others will be most happy when Dobby tells them!" the little elf squeaked, disappearing again with a large grin.

"Harry, I want you to eat as much of that as you can and then you need to take these potions," Severus said, setting three vials on the bedside table, "The green will heal any bruises and lacerations, the purple will heal the hairline fracture in your left leg- yes, I already performed the scan, while you were speaking with Lucius- and the light blue is a dreamless sleep."

"It's never looked that way before," Harry said, eyeing the light blue concoction suspiciously.

"Yes, well I added some mint leaves to make it taste better," Severus said, feigning indifference.

Harry smiled. "Thank you."

Draco grinned knowingly. He'd only seen the stony hearted Potions Master add flavors to the potions he gave to Draco. Obviously, the man had grown a soft spot for the Golden Boy…

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Mr. Malfoy, before I do it for you," Severus snapped.

"Whatever are you talking about, Sev?" Draco asked innocently.

Severus rolled his eyes. "If you'll excuse me, I believe I, too, will retire."

"Goodnight, Sev," Draco called as the door slammed shut.

"What was that all about?" Hermione asked.

"Denial. He doesn't want to admit it, but he's gotten soft on Harry," Draco replied, chuckling.

Harry would have commented on how absurd that sounded, but he was rather preoccupied with his strawberry tart.

"Ron?" Hermione said, noticing that the red-head hadn't moved since Lucius Malfoy had entered the room, "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he retorted, and then turned to them quickly, glaring, "How could you just forgive him, Harry? After everything he's done… trying to get Dumbledore fired repeatedly, getting Hagrid thrown into Azkaban, the way he treated Dobby, _almost killing Ginny_! Have you forgotten about all that!"

"People can change, Ron," Harry said, finishing his tea and setting the tray aside, "Just look at Draco and Severus. You managed to get over your hatred of them."

"Neither of them tried to _kill _you! They may have been slimy gits, but… Lucius Malfoy is- he's just evil, Harry," Ron said, "I'm with Malfoy. I don't trust him."

Harry sighed. "You guys can believe whatever you want. I won't try to convince you otherwise. However, I'm going to give him a chance. He seemed really sincere."

Draco shook his head. _'Harry… after everything you've been through, how can still be so- naïve… so damned innocent,'_ he thought, smiling softly, _'But I guess that's part of your charm…'_

"You guys should go, now," Harry said, picking up the first two vials of potion and downing them, "I'm just going to sleep, so… I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright, Harry," Hermione said, leaning over and kissing his forehead, "Goodnight."

"See you tomorrow, mate," Ron said, grinning as he followed Hermione to her room.

Draco made to leave, but Harry stayed him with a hand on his arm. "I didn't mean _you_. It's your room, you know," he said, blushing.

"I was going to go sleep on the sofa in the Slytherin common room… or make Blaise give me his bed," Draco said.

Harry's blush deepened. "That's stupid. We can share the bed."

"Are you sure?" Draco asked.

"Yeah… it's just sleeping," he replied, taking the light blue potion and grinning, "It really tastes a lot better this way."

"No kidding…" Draco said, helping the boy get more comfortable.

"Goodnight, Draco," he whispered, before falling into slumber.

Draco pulled a chair next to the bed and sat down, watching Harry sleep. While he was awake, he almost always seemed to be troubled. However, while sleeping, he looked so peaceful. He brushed his fingers over the infamous lightning bolt shaped scar, feeling a chill run down his spine as he thought about how that scar came to be. Harry had lost both of his parents before he ever had a chance to know them, and when the same curse had been turned on him, rather than die, he was left with two scars. The one on his forehead, and one on his heart, that ran much deeper. Because of that one night, Harry would never know what it was to have a family.

No… that was wrong. Harry had a family. The Weasleys were his family, and Hermione and Lupin. He hoped with all his heart that one day he, too, would be a part of Harry's family. However, at the moment he was content to just be with the small, raven haired boy. He smiled and gently removed the glasses that Harry had forgotten about, before dressing for bed. _'Tomorrow is going to be a long day…'_

Harry woke feeling more rested and content than he had in a very, _very_ long time. He tried to sit up, but was held down by something heavy lying across his chest. He panicked, his mind going to the previous night, when he had been held down by Death Eaters. He fought the unknown appendage, only succeeding in getting his feet tangled in the sheets, as well. He cried out, struggling even harder to free himself.

Draco woke to find Harry flailing about frantically, his eyes wide in fear and silent tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. He instantly sat up and pulled him into his arms, ignoring the boy's struggles.

"Harry, calm down," he whispered soothingly, "It's Draco. We're at Hogwarts… nobody is going to hurt you, Harry, I promise."

Harry calmed down slightly and looked up at Draco as if seeing him for the first time. "Draco…?"

"I'm here. It's okay," he said, rubbing circles on his back, remembering what Hermione said the previous night.

"Oh… Gods…" Harry breathed, collapsing into the comforting embrace, "I woke up and- I couldn't move… I thought… last night- it was the same… I was so- scared."

"I know. I'm sorry," Draco said, "I should have gone to the common room…"

"No! It wasn't your fault. I'm fine," Harry said unconvincingly.

Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It _was_ my fault, Harry. I should have known better. I shouldn't have listened to you."

"I'll be fine," Harry stated, "_Really_. I need to get over this, and that's never going to happen if I don't face it. And if I have to face it, I'd rather face it with you than anybody else…"

Draco smiled. "Do you want to get up, now?"

Harry shook his head. "I think I'd rather just stay here all day."

"All day?" Draco asked, chuckling, "We have things to do, you know."

"Just a little bit longer, then," Harry replied, "I don't know why you're so different…"

"Different how?" Draco asked.

Harry blushed. "I dunno… you hold me and I- I feel safe and warm, but- when other people brush against me in the hall… it sends little shots of fear into my heart… and the thought of- er… kissing anybody else… it's just disgusting…" He hid his face in Draco's shoulder, embarrassed at having finally voiced his thoughts.

Draco grinned. "That's good, because I don't want anybody else kissing or holding you."

"Shut up!" Harry said, his voice muffled by Draco's shirt, "You better be okay with Hermione holding me, you know. She wouldn't take kindly to being cut off from mothering me to death."

Draco laughed, the sound rumbling through his chest and making Harry smile. "I'm fine with your family comforting you, Harry. That's what families do."

Harry looked up at him, grinning. "So… does that make you family, now?"

"I'm your boyfriend, remember?" Draco said, winking at him.

He hid his face again, blushing. "Idiot…" he muttered.

"We should probably be getting out of bed soon," Draco said.

"Don't want to…" Harry retorted, trying to get closer to Draco's warmth.

Draco placed a soft kiss on top of his head. "Alright, then… we do this the hard way."

He pulled Harry off of the bed and carried him into the bathroom. With a wave of his wand, the tub was filled, and he promptly dumped his struggling bundle into the warm, perfumed water. Harry emerged, laughing and sputtering.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed through his laughter, "I don't have any clothes here, you git!"

"That's fine, you can use some of mine," Draco replied.

"In case you haven't noticed, you're a fair bit bigger than me," Harry stated.

Draco sighed, rolling his eyes. "There's a simple spell to fix that. Now who's the git? Have a good bath!" Draco called, shutting the door and narrowly avoiding the bar of soap that was flung at him.

Harry quickly shucked the pajamas and bathed. When he stepped out and dried himself, he noticed that an outfit had magically appeared on the counter. He slipped into the black pants and silk, emerald button-up, and walked into the room, where Draco was involved in a book.

He cleared his throat. "The spell, maybe? I feel like I'm drowning, here."

Draco laughed. Harry _looked_ like he was drowning in the fabric. He cast the spell and the clothes immediately shrank to fit Harry's slim, lithe figure. Draco transfigured his sneakers into black dress shoes and handed them to Harry.

:"Why are you dressing me up?" Harry asked.

"We're having breakfast with my father," Draco replied.

"Who's this we that you speak of? I don't remember agreeing to accompany you," he said snidely.

"Yes, just keep that tone until breakfast is done with and you'll fit right in," Draco said.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Go take your four hour shower that I'm _sure_ you take!"

"I take offense to that remark!" Draco sniffed, "I'll have you know, it's only _three_."

"Whatever!" Harry said, "Just go, so we can get this over with."

Draco chuckled, walking into the bathroom with his clothes in hand. To Harry's surprise, he only took about forty-five minutes in the bathroom before he came out, looking perfect, as usual.

He groaned. "Why can't I look like that in the morning?"

"Because, it's a hereditary trait," Draco said, smirking, "Besides, you look perfect the way you are. If you looked any different… well, it would be a tragedy."

Harry could only blink in response. Out of all the words he would have thought to describe his appearance, 'perfect' was not one of them. He shrugged, following Draco out of the room. _'Today is going to be a long day…'_

X

I don't know why, but that seemed like a good place to stop. Hmm. Another nice length chapter. Not as long as the last one, but still a good length. I'm rather proud of myself. Next one will be longer as it contains both the breakfast with (ick) Lucius _and_ the G.A.S. meeting. Bwah hahahahahahaha! Yes, GAS will make quite a few more appearances! YAY! Until next time… A bientot!


	12. Trust

Standard Disclaimer Applies

A/N: I'm on a ROLL! Yay! Enjoy this next installment! (I think I'm having too much fun with this story… )

Chapter 12

X

Harry followed Draco through the dungeons and they stopped just outside of a large door. Draco knocked loudly, his face already expressionless. Lucius opened the door and ushered them in, smiling brightly.

"I'm glad you could join us, Harry," the man said, taking a seat at a round table that was already piled with plates of hash browns, bacon, eggs, toast, and a pitcher of orange juice.

"Me, too," Harry replied, smiling as he and Draco sat at the table, as well.

"Was there something in specific that you wanted to talk about, Father?" Draco asked, filling Harry's plate first.

"I can do that myself…" Harry said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Please, Harry… I've seen the pathetic meals you eat," Draco chastised, "You're far too skinny."

"You, Pomfrey, and Mrs. Weasley should get together sometime," Harry said, grinning, "You could dedicate the entire conversation to bettering my eating habits."

However, despite what he said, Harry actually liked that Draco fussed over him, and promptly set about cleaning his plate as soon as it was in front of him.

Lucius merely smiled at them throughout the exchange. "It's nice to see my son acting like a normal child, for once."

Harry grinned, making sure to swallow before speaking. "What do you mean?"

Draco narrowed his eyes at the boy, but remained silent.

"Draco has always been a quiet, withdrawn child. Even as a toddler, he preferred to stay inside and study, rather than play outside. As a result, he became very cold and calculating," Lucius said, smiling sadly, "I'm afraid I didn't help much in that aspect. The roles that certain… circumstances forced upon me, made it so I could not show my son the amount of affection he needed. I had feared that he would forever wear the Malfoy mask. However, I am quite glad to see I was wrong."

Harry smiled brightly. "I'm glad to see I was wrong about you, as well."

Draco rolled his eyes.

Harry kicked him under the table, giving him a pointed look. His only reply was a scowl and a sharp kick in return. It was Harry's turn to roll his eyes.

Lucius chuckled. "Harry, I hope you don't think me terribly rude for asking, but what, exactly, is your relationship with my son?"

Draco coughed loudly. "Well, we should probably be going, Father. Lots of homework to do, you know." He pushed back from the table and stood, pulling Harry with him toward the door.

"Apparently, we're leaving," Harry said, wrenching his arm out of Draco's grip and turning back to Lucius, "I really enjoyed our talk- however short it was." He glared at Draco.

"As did I," Lucius replied, "You will come back again, so that we may continue this discussion, won't you?"

"Of course!" Harry said with a smile, "_Both_ of us."

"And feel free to visit on your own, Harry," Lucius added, "I know you must have a lot on your mind with everything that has been going on. Know that you may talk to me any time you wish."

"Thank you, very much. I really do appreciate that," Harry said, "See you later!"

Draco finally managed to pull him from the room and shut the door quickly, dragging Harry all the way up to his room. When the door closed behind them, Harry rounded on Draco, angry.

"What the hell was that all about?" he demanded, "It was just a simple question. He's your _dad_, Draco. Shouldn't that count for something?"

Draco grimaced. "He's never been much of a father, though, has he?"

"But that doesn't change the fact that he _is_ your father. He raised you," Harry said, "Why don't you want him to know about us?"

"Because I don't trust him," Draco said stubbornly.

Harry sighed. "Well, since you cut our breakfast short, what do you want to do, now?"

"We could always go to the library and study," Draco suggested.

Harry groaned. "It's too early to think about studying…"

"Then how about we go outside and relax by the lake?" Draco asked.

Harry's face suddenly fell and he turned away quickly to hide his pain. "I don't feel… like going to the lake today."

Draco sighed. Of course… Dumbledore's tomb. "I'm sorry, Harry," he said, wrapping his arms around the boy from behind, freezing when he felt him tense. "What's wrong?"

Harry turned around in the embrace. "Nothing. You just startled me…"

'_Right… so sneaking up on him from behind is a bad idea…'_ Draco thought.

"Would you like to go flying?" Draco asked.

Harry looked up at him, his face alight. He nodded vigorously.

Draco chuckled. "Go grab your broom and change into something more suitable and then meet me on the pitch."

Harry sped off, looking forward to a day of flying with Draco. He dressed in simple black jeans, a tight, green button-up tee shirt with a black barbed-wire pattern trim and black boots. He grabbed his Firebolt and headed for the Quidditch Pitch, where Draco was waiting for him.

They flew until eleven, having drawn a sizeable crowd, showered, and then headed up to the library to get most of their homework out of the way- much to Harry's disappointment. After which, it was nearly time for lunch, so they walked at a leisurely pace to the Great Hall.

"Oi! Where were you at breakfast, Harry?" Ron asked as they sat down.

"We had breakfast with Mr. Malfoy," he replied.

"Why?" Ron asked, wrinkling his nose in distaste, "He could have poisoned you, Harry."

"I really don't think he would do that, Ron," Harry said.

"Why do you trust him?" Ron asked.

"I believe he's changed," he stated with complete confidence.

Draco sighed. "You're so naïve. My father hasn't changed. He's _acting_… something he's very good at."

Hermione cleared her throat. "Let's not talk about this right now, okay? It's ruining my appetite."

Harry chuckled. "I agree. We can discuss this later."

They spent the remainder of the meal in light conversations about classes and Quidditch and the upcoming meeting. Much to their dismay, Hermione was already working on their NEWT study schedule.

"Hermione, it's not even a week into the school year!" Ron exclaimed.

"It's never too early to start planning," she said.

"But… Hermione, it's way too early to start thinking about that," Harry said.

"Nonsense, Harry, it's _never too early_," she reiterated, "I just want us all to be prepared."

Draco grinned. "I think they actually have a point, Hermione. I think studying _is_ very important, but if you make them start working now, they'll become rather stressed, don't you think? And if they're stressing about NEWTs so early in the year, they might not be able to concentrate on their classes. And _then_ the exams won't even matter, because they'll have to repeat their seventh year."

She gasped. "I never though of it like that! You're absolutely right, Draco, they are far too pressured as it is. The schedule can wait until after the Winter Hols, at the very least."

Harry and Ron looked at Draco in adoration, silently mouthing 'thank you'.

At that very moment, a rather heavy bag was slammed down onto the table in front of them. They looked up, startled, to see Neville Longbottom, looking angrier than he'd ever been in their seven years of knowing. Before they could ask what was wrong, though, he growled and sat down.

"You guys will never guess what just happened in the hallway," he snarled.

"Probably not…" Harry groaned, "Go ahead and tell us, Nev."

"Some fifth and sixth year Slytherins were saying that Harry had to have put Draco under some spell," he explained, "Apparently, that's the only way Draco would have ever betrayed You-Know-Who and become friends with us, _lowly_ Gryffindors."

"Is that is?" Ron asked.

Neville smirked, shocking them. "Oh no… that's not all. Ginny and I were just about to hex them into oblivion, when Pansy and Blaise knocked them on their asses. Quite literally. Just sort of bumped into them- _very violently_- and Pansy made a remark about weak-willed individuals who need to learn their place and keep their mouths shut. It was rather amusing."

Draco chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds like them."

"Was that all that they said?" Harry asked, worried that something may have been said about revenge.

"Yes… well, that's all we heard anyway," Neville said, "Why? Are you expecting them to try and hurt us?"

"Not you all, but me or Draco, sure," Harry replied.

"Nobody can hurt us," Draco said dismissively, "We're two exceptionally powerful wizards. And, if all else fails, I can always turn on the old Malfoy charm and _you_ can just turn those big, innocent green eyes on them. Trust me. They wouldn't be able to resist…" _'I know I can't…'_

Harry blushed and looked away from the blonde, making them laugh.

"There _are_ several other rumors going around school, though," Parvati said, jumping into the conversation.

"Yes, that's right! Most of them are completely absurd, naturally, but some of them actually have some merit," Lavender added.

"Like the one about Harry and Draco's secret trysts on the Quidditch Pitch?" Parvati suggested.

"Oh yes! And about their sordid affair, when Draco's really betrothed to a Spanish Princess," Lavender said, sighing wistfully, "However, he's fallen madly in love with Harry and now they're both being eaten by their guilt!"

Harry groaned. "Make them stop, somebody!"

"That's enough!" Hermione snapped, "We can discuss the rumors and the possibility of some of them being dangerous _after dinner_."

They caught the subtle hint about the meeting and quieted down significantly.

"Thank Merlin…" Harry said, "If I had to listen to one more fantasy about my love life, I was going to be sick."

"Yes, the truth of the matter isn't nearly as romantic…" Draco said, grinning at them.

"What the hell?" Neville exclaimed, "Does he mean-?"

"We'd better get to class, Draco," Harry stated, pulling Draco to his feet and dragging him out of the Great Hall.

"Did he not even realize that it's Saturday when he said that?" Ginny added, "Do you think there might be some truth to those rumors?"

"No way!" Neville said vehemently.

"Yeah, Harry would have told us," Seamus said.

Ron and Hermione exchanged a knowing smile and went back to eating their lunch calmly.

"Why'd you say that?" Harry asked, dropping Draco's hand and halting.

Draco smiled. "We have to tell them sometime. It's not right to keep secrets from your friends."

Harry sighed, leaning against a wall. "I know… we'll tell them all at the meeting tonight."

"Good," Draco said, "We have some time before lunch is over. Was there anything you wanted to talk about?"

"Not really…" Harry replied, "What about you?"

"Nothing that should be discussed in the hallway. Shall we move this conversation to my place?" Draco asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Harry was pleasantly surprised when this method of teasing did nothing but make him smile. "Whatever. Let's just go."

When they reached Draco's room, Harry wasted no time in diving onto the bed and making himself quite comfortable on the blonde's pillows. Draco grinned.

"Oh sure. Make yourself comfortable," he said dramatically.

Harry smirked. "Honestly, Draco, don't you think that kind of formality is unnecessary? Seeing as I've already slept here and I spend more time in these rooms than I do in my own dormitory."

Draco chuckled. "I suppose you might have a point."

"So… what was it you wanted to talk about?" Harry asked as Draco took a seat in a large plush armchair.

"Oh, nothing in particular," Draco replied, "I just wanted an excuse to be alone with you."

Harry smiled. "You wanted to be alone with me, but you're all the way over there?"

"Well, if you insist…" Draco said, chuckling as he crossed the room to the bed. He settled himself down next to Harry, drawing the smaller boy into his arms and sighing contentedly.

Harry closed his eyes and relaxed into the embrace. He felt more at ease with Draco than he had in a long time. Something about the blonde made Harry feel safe and protected. Most other people just made him feel skittish and jumpy, but on the few occasions when he was with Draco like this, all of his problems seemed like distant memories. Again he realized that, while he was fine with holding each other and small kisses, it would be a while before he was ready to progress as far as he'd like to.

"I'm sorry, Draco…" he said softly.

"For what?" Draco asked.

"For- making you wait," Harry replied.

"Wait for what?" Draco asked, slowly becoming more and more confused.

Harry blushed. "For… you know. The stuff that couples do- together."

Draco looked down at him, his mouth agape and his expression showing his disbelief quit clearly. And then he laughed. Harry gave a little 'humph' and pushed away from his angrily.

"Well, pardon me for voicing my anxieties," he snapped.

Draco tightened his hold on the Gryffindor, his laughter subsiding into small chuckles. "Harry, wait, you don't understand…"

"Let me go," he said, pushing harder.

"No, I don't think I want to," Draco said, "Harry…. I wasn't laughing at you- well, not really."

"Then what _were_ you laughing at?" Harry asked.

Draco smiled fondly. "I just thought we were already _doing_ what couples do."

Harry looked at him, perplexed. "But, I-"

"I know, Harry. I know you're not ready for sex, I understand that you're scared, and I would _never_ force anything on you- or rather… _in you_." Harry blushed and pinched Draco's side, all the while hiding his face in the boy's shoulder. "Ow! Anyway, we've been in a relationship for- what?- less than a day? I didn't expect you to just jump into bed with me."

Harry looked up at him, raising an eyebrow and gesturing to their current location.

"You know what I mean," Draco said, rolling his eyes, "We have plenty of time to work up to that level of intimacy, okay? Until then, I'm perfectly fine with simply holding you in my arms."

Harry blushed again and mumbled something against Draco's shoulder.

"What? I didn't quite catch that," Draco said, smirking.

"I said… I- like kisses… too," Harry repeated.

Rather than reply, Draco tipped Harry's chin up to plant a tender kiss on his lips. When he pulled away, he smiled. "I'm glad… because I like kissing you." He leaned in again to kiss him again, this time adding more pressure. He turned Harry on his back so that he was leaning over him, bracing himself on his right elbow. His other hand moved up to caress Harry's cheek as he swiped his tongue across the boy's lips.

Harry parted them obligingly and was only vaguely surprised when he felt the slick muscle begin exploring his mouth. He gripped the front of Draco's shirt tightly, gasping when the blonde's tongue slid across his own, urging him to respond. He mimicked Draco's movements and was rewarded with an appreciative moan, spurring him on until both of their tongues were battling for dominance in the kiss. A battle which Draco won. Surprisingly, this didn't upset Harry in the least. He enjoyed letting Draco lead, giving himself over to the wonderful sensations coursing through his body.

Draco trailed his hand down Harry's body, sliding it under his shirt to rest just above his hip. He wouldn't take it any further than that, not wanting to frighten him away so early in their relationship. He finally pulled away from the raven-haired boy, nipping playfully at his bottom lip as he did, and they panted for breath. He smiled in satisfaction, resting his forehead against Harry's and looking into his sparkling emerald eyes, noticing a few tiny specks of gold within their depths.

"Wow…" Harry breathed, "That was… _wow_."

"Pretty good, then?" Draco teased.

"A right sight better than the disastrous kiss with Cho or anything I shared with Ginny- no offense to her, of course," Harry replied.

"Of course. I _am_ an expert in my field," Draco said smugly, flipping onto his back.

"Then I guess I should be glad that I'll have your talents all to myself," Harry said, pressing himself into Draco's side.

Draco wrapped one arm around Harry's waist, placing the other behind his head. "Yes, consider yourself blessed."

Harry chuckled.

"You aren't wearing a tongue ring today…" Draco said suddenly.

Harry chuckled. "I haven't worn a ring in my tongue _or_ my nipple since school began."

"You've been wearing a glamour as well, eh?" Draco scolded, remembering the bath he and Hermione had given Harry the night before.

"It's actually a potion. The spell is fickle and could wear out at an inopportune moment," Harry said, grinning sheepishly, "I didn't want anybody else finding out quite yet."

"I'm actually kind of glad," Draco said, "Tongue rings are sexy, and it'll feel especially good when… erm- never mind that… but they tend to get in the way when you're kissing."

Harry quirked an eyebrow at him. "When what? Finish the sentence."

Draco smirked. "When you suck my-"

"Okay! I got it! _Don't_ finish that sentence!" Harry exclaimed, blushing a brilliant shade of red.

"You asked…" Draco said, kissing the top of his head, "Don't worry though. That's something else we'll work up to. Although I certainly hope we get to that sooner than we get to sex."

Harry groaned in embarrassment. "Just stop talking already…"

"What's wrong? Oh… you've never given head before, have you?" Draco teased, chuckling, "I'll do it to you first, never fear. It's much easier once you know what it _feels like_."

Harry buried his face in the cloth of Draco's shirt. "_Please_ stop talking. This is too embarrassing."

"We would have to talk about it eventually, you know," Draco said softly, smiling warmly at the mop of dark hair, "It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Harry sighed. "Is there any way to shut you up?"

"Only one," Draco said, grinning.

He was surprised when Harry looked up at him, still blushing, and pressed his lips to the blonde's chastely before hiding his face in Draco's shirt again.

"Happy now?" Harry said, his voice only slightly muffled.

"I think you can do better than that," Draco said, "Or we _could_ go back to our conversation…"

Harry sighed, rolling his eyes at the spoiled attitude. Nevertheless, he covered Draco's lips with his own again, this time more insistently. Draco smirked into the kiss, quickly taking control and kissing Harry fiercely, fueled by the quiet moans and little mewls that Harry gave every so often. They were both so absorbed in the kiss that neither noticed their audience until Hermione cleared her throat. They parted and Harry made to move away, but Draco held fast to the boy's slim waist.

"Did you need something?" Draco snapped, turning to face those who had imposed upon his time with Harry.

"Well, that's not a sight I thought I'd see in this lifetime," Blaise said, grinning, "The girls in this school will be absolutely devastated to find out that the two sexiest bachelors at Hogwarts are taken… by each other."

Pansy giggled. "I know _my_ heart is broken beyond repair. Shattered into a thousand tiny pieces!"

Harry blushed, suddenly finding the fabric of Draco's shirt very interesting. "I'm _not_ sexy…" he muttered.

"Bullocks! You most certainly are," Pansy retorted.

Harry glanced over at their visitors to find that Ron, who hadn't said a single thing since he entered the room, was bearing a strange resemblance to an ill goldfish. His mouth was opening and closing rapidly and he had paled considerably, making his freckles stand out in sharp contrast. Harry resisted the urge to laugh at his friend, focusing his attention on Draco's shirt again.

"So _why_ are you here?" Draco growled, annoyed that they didn't seem to have a reason for disturbing him.

"Hermione said that she saw you two kiss earlier and Pansy and I didn't believe her, so we came here for confirmation," Blaise said, "Obviously found it…"

Draco rolled his eyes. "_That's_ your excuse?"

"Well, I suppose next time you want to be left alone, you'll remember to lock the doors," Hermione said, smiling.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Maybe you all should learn the importance of knocking before you walk in on something a little more- explicit."

"One can only hope," Pansy said brightly, making Blaise laugh.

"Indeed…" Draco said, sounding very much like Snape, "Weasley! Would you stop gaping like that! It's rather annoying. We were only snogging, it's not like you walked in on us rutting!"

Ron shut his mouth, wrinkling his nose. "Thanks for those lovely mental images, Malfoy."

"Any time," Draco replied, "Now if you'd all kindly clear out? We'll see you later."

"I'll come and get you two for dinner," Hermione said, "Just in case you decide to take a nap."

"Be sure to come _alone_," Draco said.

Hermione smiled at him, shutting the door behind them. When they were gone, he turned to Harry.

"That was so embarrassing," Harry groaned.

"It wasn't that bad. It could have been my father or Sev," Draco said.

"Oh, Merlin forbid!" Harry exclaimed, "_That_ would go way beyond embarrassing!"

Draco laughed. "So… do you want to pick up where we left off, or should we take Hermione's advice and take a nap?"

"Let's take a nap," Harry said, "Those guys pretty much killed any mood there was…"

Draco smiled when he heard the distinct note of disappointment in his tone. "Right then, a nap it is."

X

True to her word, Hermione woke them for dinner. They disentangled themselves from one another and, yawning, accompanied her to the Great Hall.

"Hey… Draco?" Harry said as they took their seats.

"Yeah?" Draco replied.

"What happened to that package I got yesterday?" he asked.

"Hermione took it up to my room," Draco said.

"Nobody opened it, did they?" Harry said.

"No… why?" Draco asked.

"Just because," Harry replied, grinning, "I can't _wait_ for the meeting."

Draco raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't press the matter.

"Harry, Harry!" Colin Creevey exclaimed, rushing over to him, "Is it true?"

"Is _what_ true, Colin?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes.

"Is it true that you've been spending the night in Malfoy's _room_?" Colin practically squeaked.

"Yeah, why?" he said.

Colin's eyes widened and he shook his head quickly. "Nothing. No reason." And with that he hurried away again.

"I wonder what that's about…" Draco said.

"You don't think he could be a spy, do you?" Harry asked.

"For who?" Draco retorted, "The Dark Lord?"

Harry snorted. "No. But he _could _be spying for somebody who doesn't care for you too much. Or somebody who doesn't care for _me_."

"The only problem with that is _who_ would be plotting something like that?" Draco said, "According to Pansy and Blaise, our fears about the other Slytherins were completely unwarranted."

"I don't know. I don't think it could be anybody in Hufflepuff, they're not the types to do something like that," Harry said.

"Maybe somebody in Gryffindor?"

Harry scoffed, looking offended. "I highly doubt that!"

"Well, then that only leaves Ravenclaw," Draco said, "Although, you do realize that he was probably just curious. He's been completely obsessed with you since he came to this school."

Harry laughed. "You're right. I don't know what is wrong with me, thinking that Colin was spying on me… I feel so stupid, now."

"Just forget about it. It's okay to feel a little paranoid after all of the crap you've been through," Draco said, smirking, "I just don't know why you trust my father, if you're even wary of little Colin Creevey."

"It was just a momentary paranoia. It's not like I think that everybody's out to get me," Harry said, "Until he gives me a reason not to, I'm going to trust your father's sincerity."

Draco sighed. "It really is a useless battle, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Harry stated, grinning, "Now, I'm going to go get ready for the meeting and open that package. See you in a bit." He walked out of the Great Hall, leaving more than half of his food on the plate.

"What could he possibly have to get ready?" Ron asked.

"And what is so important about that package?" Hermione added.

Draco smirked. "I don't know, but I think we're going to find out."

X

Done! This chapter is done! Finally. I know I promised the meeting in this chapter, but it was getting so long. First thing in the next, though! Until then!


	13. Inebriation

Disclaimer: Standard one applies, right? Don't own it… not making any profit… please don't sue… blah blah blah blah.

A/N: Finally! Here's the meeting. I just realized how slow this story is going. I'm sorry if it's getting on some of your nerves, but I wanted to do a story where they don't just jump into bed. I'm trying to make it at least a little realistic (it IS Harry Potter, after all… can't be TOO realistic). Just bear with me. There will be more slash in this chapter, so… ENJOY!

X

Harry was just opening his package from Trina when Draco, Hermione, and Ron showed up. He grinned at them, pulling out the Firewhiskey and setting on the bedside table. Ron immediately matched his grin, whereas Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe you've got somebody sending you contraband," she said, sighing and then smiling affectionately, "Although I should have expected it, with the amount of time you and Ron spend with the twins."

"What else did you get?" Ron asked, sitting next to Harry on the bed.

"Just… some stuff," he said, attempting to stuff the parcel under the bed.

"Oh, no you don't!" Ron exclaimed, grabbing it away from him, "What is it? Dirty magazines or something?"

"Not exactly…" Harry said, just as Ron dumped the contents of the box onto the bed. A pack of menthol cigarettes and some new tongue, nipple, and earrings fell out. Luckily, Harry managed to hide the little bottle of lube wrapped in a purple bow in his pocket. He sincerely hoped that that was a joke.

Ron blushed brilliantly. "Erm…"

"Harry James Potter!" Hermione screeched, sounding eerily similar to Molly Weasley, "Cigarettes? You _smoke_?! Do you know what that does to your body?"

"Yeah, I know… but I don't do it that often," Harry explained, "It's just when I get really angry or upset. It helps to calm me…"

She sighed. "I suppose nothing I say will get you to quit."

"You know me so well, 'Mione," he said, smiling.

"So… erm, mate? What are these?" Ron asked, gesturing at the assortment of rings.

"Well, those are obviously earrings," Harry said, "And the other two are… well, just look." To demonstrate, he picked up the silver bar with emerald heads and screwed it into his tongue.

"When the bloody hell did you get that?" Ron asked, his eyes wide.

Harry blushed. "When I was at the Leaky Cauldron…"

"And the last one?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Er… well, you see…" Harry stuttered, his face turning a becoming shade of pink.

"Just tell them, Harry," Draco said, smirking, "Did you really think that they would never figure it out?"

"Wait a minute…" Ron said, narrowing his eyes at his best friend, "You don't have… _it_… pierced, do you?"

Draco burst into laughter at the same time that Harry's blush deepened to the shade of Ron's hair.

"No! Merlin no!" Harry exclaimed, "It's just my left nipple… see?" He pulled his shirt over his head and fastened the little silver and black hoop into his nipple.

Draco watched the scene appreciatively, only quirking an eyebrow when Harry caught his gaze.

"Besides," Harry continued, "What you're talking about looks more like a larger version of a tongue ring."

Hermione stifled a giggle at Ron's shocked face, making Harry smile.

"Whoa! Are we interrupting something?" Blaise exclaimed as he entered the room with Pansy.

"And is joining a possibility?" Pansy said, giggling.

Harry grinned at her. "Oh definitely. Get your little ass over here!"

Pansy laughed, walking over to them and giving him a sisterly hug. "How'd they take it?"

"Better than I'd imagined," Harry replied, shrugging.

"So… what shall we do while we wait for the others?" Blaise asked.

"Well, I had a pretty good idea of what I _wanted_ to do, but as my plans have been so rudely put on hold…" Draco said, giving Harry a pointed look, "I guess it's up to you all."

Blaise and Pansy exchanged a knowing glance. "We could always just sit and talk…" Pansy suggested.

"But whatever would we talk about, Pans?" Blaise said, grinning.

"I'm sure we could think of _something_…" she replied.

"Let me get some cushions to sit on," Draco said, rolling his eyes as he crossed the room to the closet and sent several plush cushions across the room to form a circle. Harry removed his tongue ring before adorning a shirt and sitting down.

They sat down and Draco looked at them expectantly.

"So, let's talk," Ron said impatiently.

Hermione glared at him. "Must you always be so rude?"

"Yes," he said, grinning.

She rolled her eyes at him.

"So, Draco…" Blaise said, "You and little Harry here are an item, eh?"

Harry blushed.

"Technically. Haven't made anything public, yet, though. So, keep your mouths shut," Draco replied.

Pansy squealed and clapped her hands together. "Finally!"

"What do you mean, finally?" Ron said, "They've only even been _friends_ since the middle of summer."

"Yes, but even then it was painfully obvious that they liked each other," Blaise said.

"Well, what about you and Pansy?" Ron asked.

Pansy laughed. "Him? He's more like an annoying younger brother."

"And she is my aggravating self-titled big sister," Blaise added, "Besides, she's far too hung up on Theodore."

She blushed and punched him in the arm. "You weren't supposed to say anything about that!"

Harry laughed. "Oh yeah… definitely siblings…"

"Let's get this party started!" Seamus Finnegan exclaimed, walking in with the remainder of the members: Theodore Nott, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Millicent Bulstrode, Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Dean Thomas.

"What's on the agenda tonight?" Theodore asked.

"The usual… a little bit of talking, some strategizing, we'll get to training later in the year when the books I ordered come in, and then general mayhem," Draco said.

"Well, let's hurry it along then, so we can get to the mayhem," Seamus said, plopping down between Pansy and Dean.

Harry laughed. "It's good to know that some things never change…"

"Hey! I've changed. Just not in any place _you've_ ever seen, right Dean?" Seamus said, winking at him.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Anyway. Where have you been Harry?"

"Yeah, mate. We hardly ever see you," Neville said, "If it weren't for classes and meals, I'd think that you had completely disappeared."

"Sorry. I've been spending a lot of time, er… elsewhere…" he replied, blushing.

Lavender and Parvati squealed. "Do you have a girlfriend? Who is she? What house is she in?"

Pansy scoffed. "He does _not_ have a girlfriend."

"Well, why else would he be disappearing and never coming back to the dorms at night?" Parvati said.

"Because he's been spending all of his time here," Draco said, smirking.

They turned to look at him, identical expressions of shock on their faces. "Why _here_?" Ginny asked suspiciously.

"Well, obviously because he just loves my perfect body," Draco said, only grinning when Harry smacked him on the arm.

"_Actually_, it's because he's my- um- boyfriend…" he corrected, looking at the floor.

"Damn! You're a pouf?" Lavender said, pouting, "Both of you? So many broken hearts…"

Harry looked up and over at Ginny. He winced when he saw her glaring at him angrily. "You can't be serious!" she exclaimed, "That's just- _wrong_, Harry! That's all wrong! You're supposed to marry _me_!"

"What? When was this decided?" Harry asked, "I never said I'd marry anybody. We only dated for a little while, Ginny."

"That doesn't matter! We're destined to be together, can't you see that? Everybody else can!" she continued, looking at the people around her for affirmation.

They avoided her gaze pointedly.

"Move on," Draco said, "There's nothing more pathetic than somebody who doesn't know how to let go."

"Oh sod off, Malfoy!" she yelled, standing up and glaring at him, "Don't get all fucking cocky just because you're shagging the Boy-Who-Lived! It doesn't matter how many times you fuck him! You're no better than the rest of us and you'd just better watch your back!"

She turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, leaving them all rather shocked. Draco looked over at Harry and saw that he was shaking. With anger or from his memories, he didn't know, but he wanted to get Harry out of there.

He stood, dragging Harry up with him, and pulled him into the bathroom. He shut the door and silenced the room before turning to the still trembling boy and wrapping his arms around him.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked, rubbing soothing circles on his back.

Harry returned the embrace, resting his head on Draco's chest and took a deep, shaky breath. "She had no right- to talk like that… She doesn't even know- what she's talking- about."

"I know," Draco said, "And they all know that there was no truth in her words."

"Yeah… but still," Harry said, "I thought that she would be happy for me. I _thought_ she was my friend."

"Well, apparently she's not," Draco said, "It doesn't matter, though. You've got plenty of friends and you've got me. So everything will be fine."

Harry gave a small laugh. "I certainly hope so."

"Come on. If we stay in here too long, they'll get the wrong idea," Draco said, taking down the silencing spell and opening the door.

"Because none of them already have the wrong idea…" Harry muttered sarcastically, making Draco laugh.

"Everything better, now?" Hermione asked, still looking worried.

Harry smiled at her reassuringly. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Good," she said, "I can't believe Ginny would go off like that."

"I can't wait till Mum finds out about this," Ron said, "I'm really sorry, Harry. I figured she'd take it hard, but I never expected her to say those things."

"It's okay, mate. I don't think any of us did," Harry replied, "Now, shall we do some… strategizing? What exactly are we strategizing for?"

"For the final battle," Millicent said, "What else?"

"We want to be as prepared as we possibly can be," Vincent added, "That means we have to go through every possible situation and figure out how we'd counter it."

"Good plan," Ron said, "So what do you have so far?"

"Well, we figure we'll have the element of surprise," Theodore replied.

"How so?" Harry asked.

"All of us except Draco are still believed to support the Dark Lord," Pansy said, "So, when we turn against him at the last moment… well, you can imagine the surprise."

"That is a pretty good plan, but…" Harry trailed off, looking apprehensive.

"What?" Greg asked, "But what?"

"When it comes down to it, will you all be able to kill your own parents if you need to?" he asked, "Because I can almost guarantee that they'll have no qualms about killing you."

They gaped at him.

"So, you hadn't thought about that possibility… I'm sorry, but you need to think very hard about this, because when the time comes for the final battle, a single moment of hesitation could cost you your lives," Harry said.

"Damn, Harry! You sure know how to kill a mood!" Seamus said.

He shrugged it off.

"Well, when the time comes, will you be able to kill the Dark Lord?" Millicent asked, waspishly.

"_Of course I will_!" he practically hissed, surprising them all, "That monster has made my life hell from almost the moment it started. Everything that went wrong with my life was _his_ fault. I _will_ kill him, even if it costs me my own life."

"So, you're prepared to become a murderer?" Pansy asked quietly.

He sighed. "Yes. I've resigned myself to my fate. I've only got two choices anyway. It's kill or be killed."

Seamus groaned. "Can't we move on to the mayhem?"

Harry glared at him. "We've got to start being serious about this! If worse comes to worse, we may have to strike against him over the holidays."

"Why so soon?" Vince asked.

"Because… my trial is the day after Christmas. If I'm convicted of attempted homicide, I'll have to go to a Muggle prison," Harry said.

"Oh… I read about that," Seamus said. He opened his mouth to comment, but Draco silenced him with a look. The last thing they needed was for Harry to have another breakdown.

"I'll kill them…" Pansy said, and Harry almost didn't hear her.

"What?" Draco said, looking at her in surprise.

"I said- I'll kill them," she repeated, "If it comes to that, then I'll kill them. If they choose the Dark Lord over me… then I can't call them my parents, can I?"

There were murmurs of assent from the rest of the Slytherins and Harry gave them a small smile. "I'm sorry that I have to ask something like this of you. I know that you've already given up a lot…"

"No. It's about time that we started doing the right thing and began fixing the problems that our parents caused," Theodore said, "Maybe we can bring honor back to the pureblood families."

Even Millicent agreed with this and Harry couldn't contain a sigh of relief.

The remainder of their time was spent briefing Harry, Ron, and Hermione over their previous plans, several of which Harry, Ron, and Hermione took into their possession to go over further and fix any possible holes or problems.

"That was the last one," Draco said, placing it in Hermione's outstretched hand and rolling his eyes, "I still don't see what the problems are."

"You will," Hermione said, smiling.

"How is Weasley going to help you?" Blaise asked skeptically.

Harry grinned. "You would never guess it, but Ron is an excellent strategist. He's gotten us through quite a bit."

"Right. So, what? Ron's the strategist, Hermione's the brains, and Harry's the brute strength?" Millicent said, quirking an eyebrow at them.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, that's exactly it. I'm just the weapon…" he said sarcastically.

Hermione glared at her. "That's _not_ it. Harry may be incredibly powerful and the only person left in the world that Voldemort fears, but he's a lot more than just a weapon. He's just as much the brains as I am and, though he may be awful at chess, he's an excellent battle strategist."

Millicent grinned. "I was only kidding. It's just that… well, that's how it seems, you know?"

"Yes, we know," Ron said.

"Right… since that was the last one, I think it's time to move on to mayhem," Harry said, standing and walking over to his bed.

Seamus and Dean gave simultaneous exclamations of joy.

"What exactly are you looking for, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"This!" he replied, holding up the bottle of Firewhiskey, "Trina sent it to me."

"Who's Trina?" Ron asked.

Harry sighed. _'Might as well tell them…'_ "She's my tattoo artist and body piercer lady!"

"Body piercer lady?" Draco repeated, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Yes. Do you have a problem with my vocabulary?"

Draco chuckled. "Nope. Not at all."

"Good," he said, sitting back down with the bottle.

"Now, what exactly are we going to do with _one_ bottle of Firewhiskey?" Blaise asked.

"Oh, it's no ordinary bottle. It's a constant supply. Trina charmed it so that it's linked directly to a brewery that her brother owns," Harry explained, conjuring glasses for them all.

"Isn't that stealing?" Hermione asked, taking the glass that he poured for her regardless.

"No, he knows. She said that he considered it an honor to aid the savior of the wizarding world," he said, laughing, "Or some other such nonsense."

"Well, then," Seamus said as soon as everybody had a hearty glass, "I propose a toast to Harry Potter's 'body piercer lady' and her brother, for the fine drink!"

"And a toast to the Gold and Silver Society," Pansy added, "For such _fine_ company!"

They laughed and took a drink, each wearing an identical grimace as it burned its way down their throats.

"This stuff is foul!" Ron exclaimed.

"Yes, but it does get the job done!" Seamus said.

"I think it's rather good," Hermione muttered. Ron gaped at her, making them all laugh.

"Going to become an alcoholic, she is!" Ron said.

"Nonsense. I always drink responsibly," she retorted, smirking.

Ron rolled his eyes at her and took another drink.

"Who's up for a little game?" Seamus asked.

"What kind of game?" Millicent asked, finally intrigued by something.

"Well…" Seamus grinned manically, "We could play truth or dare."

"Saving all of the good games for when we're a bit more inebriated, are you?" Dean said, "It's a good sport, you are!"

"Always…" Seamus affirmed, "So, who's in?"

Vince and Greg stood up. "We're not much for games and such, so we're going to go back to the dorms. See you all later."

"Bye guys," Draco said, waving them off.

"Right. Everyone else in?" Seamus asked, receiving nods, "Good. To make this a little more fair- don't want anybody getting picked on- we'll use an empty bottle and spin it."

"And I just happen to have an empty bottle!" Dean said, pulling one out of his school bag.

"What are the odds?" Seamus said, grinning and taking the bottle.

"Yes… what _are_ the odds?" Harry said, chuckling.

"Since bottles don't necessarily spin on carpet, we'll have to spin it in the air," Seamus said, making the bottle hover midair with a simple spell, "And I'll go first, since I proposed this little game."

He spun the bottle and it landed on Hermione. "Great…" she groaned, "Truth I guess."

He grinned. "What kind of panties do you wear?"

"You can't ask something like that!" Ron exclaimed, his ears turning red.

"I can ask whatever I want. There are no limitations in this game," Seamus said, "Besides, it's not like I'm interested for sexual reasons. I'm gay, remember? It's purely curiosity."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I wear thongs, for your information."

"What?" Ron said, looking at her incredulously.

"Oh, come off it, Ron!" she snapped, "I may act like a goody-goody, but I grew up in a muggle neighborhood with muggle relatives. My cousin from France introduced me to them. They're rather comfortable, actually."

"Granger's a party animal. She drinks… wears sexy panties… who would've thought?" Pansy said, giggling.

"I believe it's my turn," she said, spinning the bottle, "Ooh… Neville, eh? Almost forgot you were here. You've been so quiet. So, truth or dare?"

"Er… truth?" he said a little uncertainly.

"Do you have any love interests at the moment?" she asked.

"Maybe… yes," he replied, taking a quick drink of his whiskey, "My turn right?"

Pansy smirked when it landed on her. "_Dare_."

"Crap… I suck at this," Neville said, "Can I phone a friend?"

Seamus laughed. "I'm not even going to ask where you saw that show. But yes, you may 'phone a friend'."

"Right then. Seamus, what should I make her do?" he asked.

"Kiss the person you think is the sexiest in this room," Seamus said.

"Damn. I have to pick one?" she said, grinning a little bit, before leaning over to Harry and kissing him on the cheek, "Sorry, guys, but that's just how it is."

They all shrugged. "Yes. He is the sexiest guy… in pretty much the whole school. But he's mine. Remember that," Draco said.

Harry laughed. "Just spin it, Pans."

"Ha! Seamus Finnegan!" she exclaimed happily.

"Dare," he said.

"Right then… I dare you- to sing God Save the Queen as loud as you can!" she said, and he stood up, grinning.

"Not a problem," he said, before taking it away.

By the end of the song, they were all practically in tears and holding their hands over their ears.

"Thank Merlin! _Nobody_ make Seamus sing _ever_ again!" Theodore exclaimed.

"Agreed…" Pansy said.

"My turn!" Seamus stated happily, spinning the bottle.

Ron groaned when it landed on him. "Truth."

"When are you planning on growing some balls and asking Hermione to be your girlfriend?" Seamus asked.

Ron blushed brilliantly. "Um… actually… we- er… I asked her over the summer. We've been together for two months, now. Three on the 23rd."

"Well, it certainly took you long enough!" Seamus exclaimed, clapping him on the back.

He cleared his throat. "Well, then. My turn isn't it?"

"Spin away, mate!" Seamus said, chuckling.

Theodore sighed when it landed on him. "Truth… I guess…"

Ron grinned. "Do you fancy Pansy?"

He blushed brilliantly. "What would make you ask something like that?"

"Even though it's _you_ who should be answering the question…" Ron said, raising an eyebrow at him, "I've just noticed you giving her _the look_, you know?"

He looked at his hands. "Yes… I may fancy her… a little."

Pansy grinned. "A little?"

"Maybe… a lot. Yes," he replied.

"If you'll excuse us, ladies and gentlemen, we're going to leave this little party, as well," she said, dragging Theodore out of the room, much to the amusement of those left.

"This party is becoming less and less inhabited by the minute!" Blaise exclaimed, chuckling, "Who shall spin in Theo's place?"

"Well, since you were sitting closest to him, go ahead," Dean said.

"About bloody time!" he said, when it stopped spinning, "Potter! Truth or Dare?"

"I'm going to go with a nice, safe truth, please," he replied.

"Where's you sense of adventure?" Seamus exclaimed.

"I'm currently working on ingesting it, thank you very much," Harry said, tipping his glass to Seamus and taking another long drink.

Blaise narrowed his eyes. "What exactly are you hiding in your pocket? It looks like a vial of some sort."

Harry blushed. "It was a gift from Trina… a kind of joke- a gag gift, y'know?"

"Quit stalling and either show it to us or just tell us what it is!" Millicent said, her curiosity piqued.

"Well…" he pulled the vial from his pocket and it was immediately snatched away by Blaise, who opened it and sniffed at it before pouring a little onto the tip of his index finger, "It's- oh this is just _too good_!" He burst into laughter, tossing the vial back to Harry. "It's lube! She gave him rose scented lubrication! By jove, I think I'm in love with this woman!"

The rest of them followed Blaise into fits of laughter, varying from giggles to outright guffaws.

Harry huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, I'm very glad you're all getting a laugh at my expense…"

Draco smiled at him, pulling the annoyed Gryffindor into his lap and kissing his cheek. "Oh, come on. You have to admit that it's pretty funny. We know it's just a joke, love. Relax a little bit…"

Harry turned his face away from the blonde, but he couldn't help the small grin that twitched at the corners of his lips.

"Besides," Draco whispered, his mouth right next to Harry's ear, making the boy shiver, "It _will_ come in handy, won't it? When you're finally ready and you let me have you…"

Harry blushed and extracted himself from Draco's lap. He avoided eye contact with anybody, making Draco chuckle. "My turn, now!"

"As much as I wish I could stay to catch some more juicy gossip," Parvati, who had been sitting in the background with Lavender, observing this activity, "It's nearly curfew and some of us need our beauty sleep."

"So we'll see you all later, I suppose!" Lavender added brightly, walking out with her friend.

"Yes, I have to go, too. I want to get started on my Arithmancy homework," Millicent said, standing up.

"I should probably start on my homework, too," Neville said quickly, "I'll walk with you, if you like."

She smiled at him. "Sure, that'd be nice."

"Bye guys!" Neville said, not even looking at them as he left with Millicent.

They exchanged knowing glances.

"So, it's down to- what?- two Slytherins and five Gryffindors? I like these odds!" Seamus said.

Harry poured himself his third- or was it fourth- glass of Firewhiskey and settled back onto his cushion, smiling stupidly.

"I already spun!" he announced, "And so… Draco! Darling…. Truth or Dare?"

Draco smirked. "Truth."

"Bloody spoilsport! Fine then. Why do you want to be- with me?" he asked.

"In the unlikely event that you even remember this tomorrow," Draco said, making them chuckle, "I want to be with you because you're brave and smart and beautiful and perfect…"

Hermione sighed in a rather uncharacteristically girlish way, making Ron wrinkle his nose at her.

"Oh…" Harry said, swaying a bit, "Good… it's your turn, love…"

And so the game continued until, at last, Draco and Hermione shooed them off to bed and they stumbled out of the portrait. Hermione grinned at Draco, who currently had a lapful of _very_ inebriated Harry Potter.

"Ron and I are going to go to bed, now," she said, "Do you need any help with him?"

"No, I think I'll be okay," Draco said quietly.

"Well, if you _do_ need anything, just wake me up," she said, following Ron into her room.

"Harry… come on, I know you're not sleeping," Draco said.

"Draco?" Harry slurred.

"Hmm?"

"Truth or Dare?"

"Dare…"

Harry sighed and looked up at him. "I dare you… to take me to bed…"

Draco smirked. "I'm going to assume that you mean that in the most prude manner…"

Harry snickered, allowing Draco to scoop him up and deposit him on the bed. "What if I don't?" he asked, pulling his shirt off and tossing it into a corner.

Draco stilled in the process of taking off his socks. "What?"

"What if I _don't_ mean it in a prude manner? What if I really meant _take me to bed_?" Harry asked, leaning up on his elbow to watch Draco pull off his socks and shirt for bed, opting to sleep in his pants.

"Harry… you're drunk," Draco said simply, climbing into the bed.

"Not _that _drunk," he grumbled, "Besides, most people become more honest when they're drunk."

"They also lose all of their inhibitions," Draco countered, turning to face the stubborn boy.

"So? What better time, then…" Harry said, wrapping his arms around Draco's neck and pulling him into a deep, whiskey flavored kiss.

Draco pulled away. "Harry… gods…" he trailed off as Harry's lips found his ear and began sucking and nipping at the sensitive lobe.

"Yes?" he breathed.

"You need to stop…" Draco said, tilting his head to the side even as he said it.

"Why?" Harry asked, moving his lips steadily down the blonde's neck.

"Because… you'll regret this," Draco replied.

"What if I don't?" he said, grazing his hands up Draco's sides.

Draco found the sense and will to still Harry's hands with his own. "I don't want to take that chance," he said, looking into his green eyes, darkened with the effects of the alcohol and his own carnal desire.

"I do…" Harry whispered, capturing his lips again in a more insistent kiss.

In the next second Draco had the raven-haired boy pinned beneath him and was worshipping his body with his mouth and hands, paying particular attention to his nipples, pulling them into his mouth and teasing the small hoop. Harry arched into his touch, silently asking for more.

"Draco…" he sighed, when he felt the blonde's fingers dip into the waistband of his pants, "Draco… Draco, please…"

"Please what?" Draco said, smirking.

"Please… touch me," he said, fisting his hands in the sheets when he felt the cool air hit his erection, followed by the warmth of Draco's hand, "Oh gods!"

Draco captured Harry's mouth in yet another kiss and their tongues battled for dominance. Harry's moans were muffled as Draco began to stroke him, slowly, driving him to the brink of insanity. Draco broke away and smirked down at him.

"Do you like that, Harry?"

"Yes…" he breathed, "Merlin, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

Draco leaned in close to his ear and traced the shell with his tongue, making Harry moan a bit louder. "Do you want me to fuck you, Harry?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but was suddenly flooded by memories. Pain, humiliation, blood… He gasped, pushing Draco away and curling into himself. He clutched his knees to his chest, staring in fear, again, at an attacker who wasn't there.

Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair. He moved in front of Harry and forced him to meet his gaze.

"Harry… calm down," he said evenly, "Come on. You know where you are… you're at Hogwarts, in the Head Boy's room, with me… Draco, remember?"

He blinked, causing a few stray tears to fall down his cheeks. "Draco?" he asked shakily, sounding like a small child.

Draco smiled at him, pulling him into his lap and rocking him gently. "Yes, Draco. You're safe, okay? He can't find you here."

"Promise?" Harry said, looking up at him with hopeful, trusting green eyes.

Draco realized in that moment that he would never be able to deny those eyes anything. He held Harry to his chest tightly. "I promise."

Harry sniffled, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry…"

"For what?" Draco asked.

"For… that. I should have just listened to you," he replied, "I was being stupid, and I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Draco said, "You weren't in your right mind. It's my fault for not stopping it."

Harry smiled. "Actually… I'm not _that_ sorry…"

"What?" Draco looked down at him, quirking an eyebrow.

He placed a quick kiss on Draco's lips and smirked. "I _did_ enjoy myself…"

"Imp!" Draco growled playfully, pulling Harry down into a laying position and pulling the blankets over them, "Go to sleep…"

Harry grinned and rested his cheek on Draco's shoulder, wrapping his arm around the blonde's chest. He sighed contentedly.

"Good night, love," Draco said, kissing the top of his head softly.

"Night… _lover_," Harry chuckled, welcoming slumber with open arms.

XXX

End Chapter 13! Wow! That was UBER LONG! Was it worth the wait? I certainly hope so! Don't forget to review!


	14. Interruptions

Disclaimer: Yep… don't own it. Never will.

A/N: I can't wait until Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

edit A/N: Well then! It was brought to my attention that I had suddenly resurrected Dumbledore in this chapter. A rather unexpected move on my part, don't you think? I'm terribly sorry for the confusion, and I have rectified this- well, HUGE mistake!!! Lol. I have a habit of forgetting what I've previously written… and I guess Dumbledore's death just refuses to settle in my mind. SORRY again! And… well… that's all I guess.

X

Harry woke with a pounding headache. He hissed at the light and closed the drapes with a flick of his wand. Aside from his obvious hangover, he was feeling rather warm and safe. There was a slight weight across his hips, but rather than feeling confined, he felt reassured. He turned on his side to face Draco, smiling at how angelic the blonde looked when he was sleeping.

When Draco's eyelids fluttered open, he leaned forward and kissed him lightly. "Good morning."

"Indeed, it is," Draco replied, grinning, "I could get used to waking up like this."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Thank heaven it's Sunday. I'm not ready to leave bed…"

Draco laughed. "We should probably make an appearance sometime today. People will get suspicious."

"I don't care," Harry said, burrowing deeper into the blankets, "They're suspicious either way. Might as well give them a _reason_."

"Lazy…" Draco teased, but made no move to get up.

"So? Even the Boy-Who-Lived should get a day off once in a while," he retorted, "Besides… my head is killing me."

"We still have to finish our homework," Draco said, "Since it _is_ due tomorrow. And… don't you have Quidditch practice today?"

"Not until four," Harry grumbled, "Quit being such a buzzkill… you don't want to get out of bed any more than I do."

"That's not the point… we _have _to get out of bed. A little hangover is no excuse to neglect our responsibilities," Draco said.

Harry groaned. "Not yet… shut up. I'm trying to remember my dream."

"Why?" Draco asked, pulling him closer.

"Because it was a good dream… I just can't remember _why_ it was so good," Harry replied, "But it doesn't matter. I'm perfectly happy here."

"Harry!" _'Ow… does she have to yell?'_

"Or at least I _was_…" he muttered, turning in Draco's embrace to face Hermione, who had just rudely barged in, "Yes?"

"The entire school is talking about you and Draco," she said.

"What else is new?" Draco asked.

"They _know_…" she hissed, "Somebody told everyone about your relationship."

Harry shrugged. "Oh well. I suppose they would have figured it out sooner or later."

"You're not upset?" she asked, "But… it'll get back to Voldemort, now. You realize that, right?"

Harry nodded. "We'll deal with _him_ when the time comes."

"Well, who do you think it was?" she asked.

Harry sighed. "I hate to say it, but the only one who was angry enough at me who knows is Ginny."

"Oh, it was her, all right," Ron said, coming into the room, "I caught her running her mouth to some sixth year Ravenclaws. I can't believe she would do something so spiteful."

"She is a _girl_…" Draco said.

"Excuse me?" Hermione exclaimed, glaring at him.

"With a few exceptions, of course…" Draco covered, "But girls are notoriously spiteful creatures. They'd sooner cut off their own leg than admit they were wrong. And they hold a grudge like no other."

Ron laughed. "You're not kidding! 'Mione still brings up stuff I did in _first year_!"

"Ronald Weasley! I cannot believe you are siding with this chauvinistic nonsense!" Hermione exclaimed.

'_My God! Why is everybody being so bloody loud?'_ Harry thought.

"Well, it's true…" he said, shrugging.

She sighed. "Boys… anyway, were you two planning on getting your lazy arses out of bed anytime today?"

"No," Harry said.

"Oh…" she said, laughing, "Well, then I guess I'll see you at Quidditch practice?"

"Yep. And not a moment sooner," he said, grinning.

"See you later, mate," Ron said, following Hermione out of the room.

They were just getting settled again when the door opened for the second time. This time, however, it was Pansy and Blaise.

"For heaven's sake!" Draco said, "Do you all travel in pairs, now?"

Blaise grinned. "I'm glad to see your sunny disposition hasn't been affected by the rumors going around school. Well… not rumors, exactly. It's the truth, really…"

"Was there something you needed?" Draco snapped.

"We just wanted to check on you two. Make sure you weren't hurting too badly," Pansy said, "We brought you some hangover potions, just in case."

"Actually, we're fine, thank you," Draco said.

"Thanks, Pansy. _My _head feels as though seventy Cornish pixies are trying to escape it with tiny pick-axes," Harry said, taking a potion from her and downing it quickly, sighing as he felt the pain dissipate, "Oh… thank you _so _much. You two are officially my heroes."

Blaise grinned. "Always happy to help!"

"Well… I suppose we'll leave you two, then," Pansy said, smirking as she pushed Blaise out of the room.

The moment the door shut, Harry cast the strongest locking charm he knew on all of the doors and settled back into the bed. Draco kissed the side of his neck lightly.

"You can't still be tired…" he said.

"No… just very comfortable and warm," Harry replied.

Draco nodded in agreement. "Suddenly, I don't very much care about any responsibilities we've got…"

Harry turned to face him and smiled. "I never did. I'm glad you came around."

Draco kissed his nose. "You're going to make me fat and lazy."

"I don't think you could ever be fat," Harry said, grinning, "Besides… one day won't destroy your girlish figure."

Draco raised an eyebrow at the comment and flipped Harry onto his back, sitting on his legs. "Want to say that again?"

"What? About your girlish figure?" Harry challenged, "Face it, Draco, everything about you is girlish… especially your _hair_."

Draco narrowed his eyes before swooping down to tickle Harry mercilessly. Soon he had the boy screaming in laughter, tears slipping down his face and his legs kicking uselessly as he tried to wriggle away.

"Say it again, Potter…" Draco growled playfully, pausing in his attack.

"Girl!" Harry gasped, catching Draco's wrists when he tried to tickle him again, he reversed their positions and pinned the blonde to the bed with his hands above his head. "Hmm… I think I like these odds. What _shall_ I do with you?"

Draco licked his lips. "I can think of a few things…"

Harry chuckled darkly. "Don't get your hopes up."

He moved off of Draco and settled in next to him, pulling the covers back over them. He sighed contentedly when Draco wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close to kiss his forehead.

"I swear, if anybody tries to get us out of here again, I'll fucking kill them," Draco muttered, closing his eyes and basking in the feeling of having Harry pressed against him. He loved moments like this… no pressure for sex, no tension, no need for idle conversations. Just warmth and silence and the pleasure of another body to share it with. Specifically when that body belonged to somebody for whom you felt rather deeply about.

They had nearly fallen asleep when they heard cursing outside of the door. Harry felt the locking charm fall and growled. "Prepare to take a life, then… because we have a visitor."

"Who the bloody hell is interrupting _now_?" Draco exclaimed, sitting up at glaring at the intruder.

"I'm terribly sorry, Draco," Lucius Malfoy said, "But the Headmistress would like to speak with you and Harry. And afterwards, I had thought that we might have lunch together. Harry, as well, of course." He smiled at the boy, who beamed.

"I suppose since we're not getting back to sleep any time soon, that would be lovely," Harry said, "We'll be down after we meet with Professor McGonagal, if that's alright?"

"That sounds perfect," Lucius said, "See you in a bit then." And he left.

Draco growled, throwing the blanket off of him and getting out of bed. "I can't believe the nerve of that man!"

"For what?" Harry asked, laughing as he, too, began to dress, "Telling us that the Headmistress wanted to see us, or asking his son and his son's boyfriend to eat lunch with him?" He gasped in mock horror. "You're absolutely right, Draco! How dare he?"

Draco glared at him. "He's going to try and pump you for information, you know that right?"

"Information about _what_?" Harry said, "My classes? The weather? What could he possibly ask me about that would be so awful?"

"He's going to ask you about me. About us," Draco retorted.

"The monster! Shall I call the aurors to action?" Harry said sarcastically, "Honestly, Draco, there is nothing wrong with a man wanting to know about his son's life. I'm sure he would ask _you_, but he knows you'd never tell him anything."

"He's never cared before, why should he start now?" Draco drawled, "I've gotten along fine without his interfering for most of my life. This year is no different."

Harry sighed. "I know you don't trust him, but couldn't you just give him a chance? He's your father…"

"No, he's just the man who donated the sperm which allowed me to be born. Beyond that point, he has played no role in my upbringing, besides poisoning me against anybody not of pure-blood, _or_ my life," Draco spat, "And I will not give him a chance, because somebody has to remain aware of his true nature. That way, when he shows it, there is at least one person who is ready to protect you."

Harry smiled. "Fine. However, we're still having lunch with him. I want a chance to talk to him again."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Let's go see what McGonagal wants."

They arrived at McGonagal's office to find that both McGonagal and Snape were waiting for them. Without so much as a word, they were escorted up the staircase and ushered into separate chairs. On separate sides of the room. What was going on?

"Hello, boys. Would you care for some tea?" McGonagal asked them.

Draco politely declined, while Harry gladly accepted a cup of tea. He found that he actually liked the stuff… it was rather calming.

"With all due respect, Professor, what are we here for?" Draco asked.

McGonagal raised an eyebrow. "Well… it seems that several people are rather worried about Mr. Potter, here. Care to take a guess at why?"

"Because I'm currently involved with Draco?" Harry asked in a bored tone.

"Yes, that," McGonagal said, shocked, "You do not deny it?"

"No… it's the truth. It's only been a couple days, but it _is_ true," Harry said simply, shrugging.

She began sputtering quite fiercely, while Snape merely looked smug. "It looks like you owe me five galleons, Minerva," he said.

"I can't believe this! Under my own nose…" she continued sputtering, "Sneaking off… there _were_ rumors… but- this is preposterous!"

"That was precisely what Mrs. Weasley said when she firecalled you this morning, Minerva. She seemed rather sure that Mr.Potter had been put under some kind of dark enchantment," Snape said, "Do either of you boys have any idea of who might have put that notion in her head?"

"Ginny Weasley," Draco answered, spitting the name with as much malice as one could, "She's still hung up on Harry. Went completely bonkers when she found out about us and started spouting a bunch of nonsense about how they were meant to be. She's the one who told the whole school about us."

"I see. That is not entirely unexpected… and it certainly puts a whole new light on things, don't you think, Minerva?" Snape said.

"Well, I suppose. However, it has recently been brought to my attention that you have been spending increasing little time in your own dorms. Your friends are feeling a bit neglected, so," she took a deep breath, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to stop spending the night with Mr. Malfoy, Harry."

"Why?" he asked calmly, "Is there a rule against it?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Then I don't think I will," he said, cutting her off, "I'll admit that I've been spending most of my time with Draco, and I'll try to rectify that, but I'm not going to change my sleeping arrangements. I'm most comfortable sleeping in Draco's room than I am in the dorms. I haven't had a single nightmare while I'm there."

"Are you sure that all you're doing is _sleeping_?" McGonagal said, narrowing her eyes.

This comment shocked all those present and they gaped at her.

Harry took a shaky breath, successfully keeping any painful memories at bay. "Professor… have you already forgotten that I was _raped_ this summer? By my own uncle? Surely you don't actually think that I would be having sexual relations with anybody at the moment."

Draco practically shone with pride at how Harry had handled that. He hadn't had a relapse or broken down or even shed a tear. Maybe he was finally moving on… _'I hope, anyway…'_

McGonagal gasped and her hand flew up to cover her mouth. Her eyes were wide with shock at her own stupidity and tears were shining quite clearly in them. "I'm so sorry, Harry," she breathed, stepping forward and pulling him into a motherly embrace, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I was just so… shocked and- more than a little worried about what Miss Weasley said… But that's no excuse. I'm sorry."

Harry returned the embrace, glad to have the McGonagal he knew back. "It's alright. I'm fine."

She released him and looked down at him. "No, it's not alright. Merlin's balls! I deserve to be smacked!"

His jaw dropped at the crude exclamation and Draco promptly burst into laughter.

"I'd be happy to assist you in that, Minerva," Snape said, smirking and raising a hand.

She pinned him with a glare. "I'm sure you would… regardless. Back to the matter at hand." She cleared her throat and looked over at Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, I have to ask that you not monopolize Harry's time. He has other friends and I'm afraid they miss him. He also has other responsibilities. You both do. If I find that this arrangement is affecting your studies, I'll have to _ban_ Harry from your rooms. Am I understood?"

"Perfectly, Professor," Draco said, finally calming down, "But I assure you that, if anything, it will improve our grades. With me helping Harry with Potions and him helping me with Charms, our marks will be most likely to improve."

She smiled at them.

"Was that all, Professor?" Harry asked.

"Yes, that was all. Have a good day, boys."

They stood and left, both still grinning about McGonagal's use of the word 'balls', and headed toward Lucius' quarters. When they reached the door, it swung open and Ginny stepped out of the room. She glared at them both, before walking past them.

"What was that about?" Draco asked the moment they were seated with Lucius, "Why was Ginny Weasley here?"

Lucius smirked. "I was just having a little chat with Miss Weasley about how it would behoove her not to spread rumors about her betters."

Harry gasped. "You didn't threaten her, did you?"

"I merely suggested that, if she were to be caught dispersing information about the school again, somebody might get hurt," Lucius said, "Nothing more, nothing less. Regardless, she won't be gossiping anymore."

Harry groaned. "Thank you for your concern, Lucius, but you really should have let Draco and I handle her."

"Well, I realize that you are completely capable of taking care of yourselves, but I do not appreciate that little chit spreading false rumors about my son," Lucius said.

"It's _not_ false, though," Harry said, earning him a sharp elbow in his ribs.

"Really?" Lucius said, raising an eyebrow at him, "So, you and Draco are- romantically involved?"

Draco snorted at the flowery words, but answered, "Yes. We are. Weren't we here for lunch? I'm feeling a bit puckish, at the moment."

Harry grinned when lunch immediately appeared and Draco, again, filled his plate before getting his own. _'I swear, he's trying to fatten me up or something.'_

"I can't begin to tell you how happy I am for the both of you," Lucius said after they had finished eating, "Perhaps you'll be the one to finally get my son to settle down."

"Oh, don't start this again!" Draco groaned.

"Draco, this is your last year at Hogwarts. It's high time you started thinking about your future and the future of the Malfoy family," Lucius said, "I won't be around forever, you know. It won't be too long before you have to take my place as the head of the family, and I would like a chance to see my grandchildren before I die."

"What?" Harry exclaimed. Grandchildren? How could he be expecting grandchildren?

"Yes… I know you're both young, but in the event that you _do_ manage to tame Draco and the two of you are bonded, you would bear my grandchildren," Lucius said, sipping his tea.

"But- that's not possible! I'm a guy and… guys can't have children…" Harry said, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Yes, they can, Harry. It is not possible for a muggle man to bear children, but it is possible for a wizard to get pregnant," Lucius said.

Harry paled, becoming panicked. So… he could be pregnant with his uncle's child? _'Oh God… Oh God, oh God, oh God…'_

"However," Draco said, seeing the panic in Harry's eyes, "It is only possible if _both_ partners are very powerful wizards."

Harry calmed considerably. Lucius looked at him with interest, but made no comment.

"As much as I am enjoying myself," Draco said, scathingly, "Harry and I have homework to do. So, we'll see you later."

Harry smiled as best as he could and followed Draco out of the room. "See you later, I guess."

Lucius smiled. "Of course. I look forward to it."

X

There you are! The next installment in this story. I hope you enjoyed it! Please review!


	15. Uncertainty

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the Potterverse. However, I do like to play in it!

A/N: So… I shall try not to resurrect any other dead character. Lol. Yes… Sirius Black will make no appearance, nor will Narcissa Malfoy. Anyway. On with the story!

Chapter Fifteen (My God! Is it that far already?)

XV

"Lucius!" Severus yelled in frustration. The man rarely yelled, but when he did… well… it was effective. That is, unless you are Lucius Malfoy.

"Severus, lower your voice. Do you want all of the students to know that an active Death Eater is residing in their school?" Lucius said calmly.

"So… you are continuing in your duties to the Dark Lord?" Severus asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Of course. Were I to cease, he would surely find a way to harm Draco," Lucius replied, "And I do _not_ want the only heir to the Malfoy name and fortune to die."

"Is that all he is to you? A way to continue your precious _name_?" Severus hissed.

"You and I both know that that is not the case. Draco is my son. I care for him as any father does," Lucius said, waving a dismissive hand at the man.

"So, does this mean that you are a spy?" Severus asked.

"Heavens no! I don't have quite the courage that you do, Severus. Nor am I as accomplished at Occlumency," Lucius said.

"That's a lie and you know it," Severus snarled, "You can hide your true thoughts and memories as well as I can."

Lucius smirked. "Perhaps, but that doesn't change the fact that I do not wish to risk my life by becoming a spy."

'_Coward…'_ Severus thought. "I still am not sure if you are sincere in your admissions to Harry and Draco. However, you may be certain that, should I find that you were not, you will pay. Dearly."

Lucius quirked an eyebrow at him. "My, my, Severus… have you grown a soft spot for the Boy-Who-Lived? The '_ignorant dunderhead_' that you so often complained about?"

Severus scoffed and turned away from him. "Hardly. I merely do not wish you to harm the only hope that the wizarding world has of survival."

"Of course. How sill of me to suggest it," Lucius said, "However, I don't think that somebody who is relying solely on one fragile teenage boy to save our world has the right to throw the word 'coward' around. Have a good day, Severus."

Lucius left the office without a backwards glance, leaving Severus to fume in private.

x

Harry and Draco spent the rest of the day dodging practically everybody in the school. They had realized after lunch with Lucius that their peers were split into two groups: people who were accepting of their relationship, and people who were not. So far, Ernie MacMillan had accosted Draco and demanded that he take whatever spell he had on Harry off, Susan Bones, along with several other girls, had cornered them and attempted to ask the most embarrassing personal questions anyone could think of, Filch had rudely informed them that he'd better not catch them doing anything indecent in the hallways, and a few Slytherins had nearly tossed Harry out of a window when Draco wasn't looking, claiming that he had "tainted" Draco somehow.

Finally, they had found a nice quiet spot to sit at the back of the library and they nearly collapsed.

"Thank Merlin! No way anybody will find us back here," Harry said.

"We might as well do some of our homework while we're in the library," Draco said.

"I don't want to. Besides, we left all of our things in your room," Harry countered, "Can't we just sit and relax for a while?"

Draco grinned at him. "I would think you'd be used to all of this attention."

"Well, I'm not," Harry said, "I spend my summers in the muggle world, at the Burrow, or at Grimmauld's Place. And when I _did_ go to Diagon Alley, I was always with the Weasleys or somebody, so nobody really bothered me. The only place I really get any attention is _here_, or on the few occasions when someone catches me alone."

"I see…" Draco said, unsure of what else _could_ be said, "Well, then. What can we do in a library besides homework?"

Harry blinked at the sudden, and rather obvious change of subject. "Er… I don't know. We don't have to _stay_ here. We could always go back up to your room or go down to the lake."

Draco's eyes brightened. "It's still warm outside, you know. We could go swimming…"

Harry blushed. "Um… I suppose, that would be nice…"

"Let's go!" Draco said, grinning madly as he pulled Harry up and proceeded to drag him outside.

"Wait! My swim shorts are in the dorms! Shouldn't I go change?" Harry asked. That would give him the chance to take his glamour potion… which he hadn't taken the past two days.

"We're _wizards_, Harry. We'll just transfigure our clothes," Draco said, finally coming to a halt by the lake.

He pulled out his wand and with two definite flicks, both he and Harry were clad only in swim shorts. Harry turned away quickly, not wanting to see his reaction. Draco was still grinning until he looked up and saw Harry. He gasped at the faded scars littering the small Gryffindor's back and felt an immediate wave of rage heat his blood. If Harry's fat, muggle uncle ever woke up, he swore he'd kill the man!

Harry blushed deeply and crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "I- haven't taken my glamour potion, yet…" he explained feebly.

Draco growled and pulled Harry into a possessive embrace, transfiguring their clothes back before anybody saw. He doubted that Harry would want the entire school to know about his abused past. He had seen the bruises, that night when he'd bumped into him at the coffee house, but he hadn't known about the _scars_.

"We're going back up to my room," Draco said.

Once the door was safely closed, Draco turned to Harry, who flinched slightly at the anger in his eyes.

Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not mad at _you_. But… why didn't you ever tell me before?"

"Er… you- didn't ask?" he offered.

"Okay… well, what are they all _from_?" Draco asked.

"Well… a lot of them are from burns, and a few are from various corners of furniture I was thrown against or when he hit me with that- metal, clippie side of his belt…" Harry said, "And some are things that I did on my own, like falling or getting caught on fences."

Draco took a deep breath. "Burns? What did he burn you with?"

"If- I burnt the food… or there just happened to be a hot pan around- he'd… throw it at me…" Harry said, looking down at the floor.

Draco growled again, feeling his rage grow with every word.

"I'm sorry…" Harry said softly.

Draco sighed again, and pulled Harry into his arms. "Don't be. I'm just- upset. But not with you. Why didn't you tell Sev about all of that?"

"I don't know… I guess compared to the rape it didn't seem like a big deal," Harry said, chuckling weakly.

Draco shook his head at the boy's attempt at humor. "You're going to have to tell Sev."

"I know…"

"Actually, I heard the entire thing," Severus said from his place in the doorway, "You should learn to lock the door and put up silencing spells if you're going to have a private conversation."

"Did you need something?" Draco asked, "Or were you just so bored that you decided to come and spy on us?"

"Actually, I wanted to inform Harry that I have just finished collecting his aunt and cousin's statements," Severus said, giving Harry a little half-smile.

"What?" Harry asked, "Does that mean…"

"Yes. They are going to testify, in court, against your uncle," Severus finished, "Surprisingly, your aunt was more than happy to offer her assistance. Your cousin, however, required a little more- persuasion."

"Sev! You didn't use magic on him, did you?" Draco asked, "Because you know that it is illegal to use magic to gather information in muggle proceedings…"

"Yes, I know," Severus said, waving his hand impatiently, "No, I did not use magic. I simply informed him of the legal consequences should he withhold information from the court and he was more than willing to testify- truthfully- in your defense, Harry. Said something about a "res-sling scholarship". Whatever that is…"

"It's _wrestling_, and it's a muggle spectator sport," Harry supplied, grinning, "And thank you. That takes a lot off of my mind."

"I'm sure it does," Severus said, "I will see you- _both_ of you?- tomorrow after dinner to go over their statements. And to officially record the events that you just informed Draco about."

"Of course," Harry said, smiling brightly.

Before he left, Severus turned back to Harry. "Just as a side note… continued use of a glamour- _especially_ in potion form- can lead to serious health risks. I would advise you to refrain from taking any more. Unless you _wan_t your liver to fail and your hair to fall out."

The door shut behind him and Harry gaped after him in shock. "How the hell did he know?"

"He's a Potions Master. It's his job to know, I guess," Draco replied, "And I agree. Even if there were no health risks, I would want you to stop."

"Why?" Harry whispered, turning to look into Draco's ice-blue eyes, "It's… _ugly_…"

"That may be so… but _you_ are not," Draco said, framing his face in his hands, "I want to know _all of you_, Harry, and those scars are a part of you. Besides… there aren't as many as you think, and most of them are faded beyond the point of being noticeable. You shouldn't worry so much about them. You're beautiful, and I'll never let you forget that."

Harry smiled when Draco kissed his nose tenderly. "And _you_- are a sap."

Draco laughed. "Only sometimes, and only when it comes to you."

"What do we do now? I think I sufficiently killed the swimming idea," Harry said.

"Why don't we just lounge around here? _Do our homework_, maybe?" Draco said, raising his eyebrows.

Harry sighed. "Fine. _Hermione_. We'll do homework. Bloody slave-driver…"

Draco grinned, pulling out his Potions book, parchment, and quill and setting about the latest ridiculously long essay that Sev had assigned them. _'I don't know why he wants three feet… all of the information could easily be summarized in _one_. Not only would it make him seem a little less evil, but it would save him from being forced to read two extra pages of absolute bull-shit and dribble!'_

xv

Harry laughed in triumph and literally threw his quill across the room "I'm done! Finished!"

"That's nice, but some of us are still working…" Draco said moodily.

"You're _still _working?" Harry whined.

"Yes, some of us like to put some effort into our work," Draco drawled.

Harry looked over his shoulder and scoffed. "It's no better than what I wrote. You just write too slow."

"Pardon me for wanting my essays to be legible," Draco said.

Harry laughed. "Actually, mine are perfectly legible. _You_ just write like a girl."

Draco narrowed his eyes at him playfully. "Do you really want to start the girl thing again?"

"I won last time, didn't I?" Harry said, imitating his exact tone.

"You were lucky…" Draco said, setting his quill down, "There. I'm finished, as well. It only took me a few more minutes than you, _and_ my penmanship is infinitely better. Yet another verification of Slytherin's superiority."

Harry scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Femininity, maybe…"

Draco raised an eyebrow. "I'll choose to ignore that."

"Do what you want. Doesn't change the facts," Harry said, grinning.

"So what now? I don't really want to go back out _there_, but- well, it's a bit boring _here_," Draco said, jumping onto the bed and falling back gracefully.

Harry watched this with an amused expression.

"What?" Draco asked, noticing the laughter lighting his eyes, "What's so funny?"

"Pretty much everything you do reminds me of a cat," Harry answered, chuckling.

"A cat? Are you serious?" Draco said, "I'm nothing like those flee ridden creatures."

Harry joined him on the bed and laid on his side, propping himself up on his elbow. "Oh yes, you are. You move like a cat… all fluid grace. I bet you even _fall_ gracefully."

"Of course. It's all about breeding, you know. Malfoys are bred to always remain composed and graceful," Draco said, "I may not like Lucius very much, but I'm willing to acknowledge that he _has_ taught me some things that are pretty useful."

"But that's not all… even your expressions," Harry continued, "That little smirk that says that you know more than you're letting on. The content look you get when you're sleeping. Even your eyes remind me of a cat."

"My eyes? What about my eyes?"

"To most people, they don't give anything away. A person has to know you pretty well before they can identify the emotions that show in your eyes. Sometimes it's faint, but other times your eyes are beautiful and full of emotions," Harry said, smiling and reaching out to brush his fingers against his cheek, "And other times… when you put on your mask, they're cold and utterly emotionless. It's a bit off-putting."

"How is that different from any other animal? I don't think I've ever seen an animal show _emotion_ in their eyes," Draco said, still skeptical.

"That's not true. It's easy to see emotions in a dog's eyes. Whether they're happy or sad, nice or mean… but with cats, unless you _know_ the cat, they're eyes just seem- unreadable," Harry replied.

Draco shrugged, sitting up. "Okay. So I have some cat-like qualities. Whatever."

"It's not a bad thing," Harry said, grinning, "It's kind of…… sexy."

Draco smirked at the admission. "Are you trying to seduce me, Harry Potter?"

He blushed. "I- no… I just- I didn't mean- I only meant- sod off…"

Draco laughed. "We still don't have anything to do."

"We could always go talk to Lucius?" Harry suggested, smirking.

"No," Draco said, "I don't want to deal with him twice in one day, thanks."

Harry rolled his eyes and was about to suggest that they go for a walk on the grounds when there was a timid knock at the door. He got up to answer it and had to bite back a growl at the person standing there.

"Ginny," he said through clenched teeth, "Did you want something?"

She kept her eyes on the ground and sniffled a bit. "I just wanted to say… that I'm sorry."

He gaped at her. That was _not_ what he'd been expecting.

"I know you're probably still furious and I'll understand if you never forgive me, but… I wanted to tell you that. I'm really sorry. For the way I acted last night. I don't know why I said those things. I knew that you were gay, right?" She looked up at him and he saw the tears shimmering in her eyes. She gave a weak laugh. "I guess I just still hoped… but that's no excuse. I don't know what was wrong with me. I just- exploded. I don't even know where it came from. I'm really, _really_ sorry, Harry. You're like a brother to me, and I don't want to lose you… I'm sorry…"

He grinned and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Of course I forgive you. Don't be stupid. The school would have found out sooner or later, anyway. And… I kind of expected you to be upset about me and Draco."

She pulled back and wiped her eyes. "Thank you."

"What changed your mind?" Harry asked, pushing her into the room.

"It was actually Draco's father. He's really protective of you. _Both_ of you," she said, "He talked to me and then… well… Mum."

Harry laughed.

"Yeah. You know that tone she gets when she's _really_ disappointed? I hate that tone…" she laughed, "She told me how stupid and childish I was acting. Then she told me that if I really loved you, I'd just- be happy that _you're_ happy. And she was right. I _am_ happy for you Harry."

Draco watched the whole scene unfold with a small smile on his face. He really hadn't wanted to come between Harry and the people he loved. He was glad that Ginny had come to her senses. However… he couldn't help but think that something was wrong. Something was out of place…

"Draco?" Harry said, waving his hand in front of the blonde's face.

"Hmm? What?" Draco said, coming out of his thoughts.

"Ginny just left. I asked you if you wanted to go for a walk around the lake," Harry repeated, tapping his foot impatiently.

Draco grinned. "Sure. Let's go."

Ginny watched them walk out of the castle and drew the Invisibility Cloak around her, following them onto the grounds…

XV

Hahaha! There you go! More effing conflict! I do love a good conflict. Or in this story's case, SEVERAL! **Insert evil cackle** lol. Please review… and I shall reward you with another stunning addition to this ever-more complicated story!!!!! ;) Smooches!


	16. Discussions

Disclaimer: I don't own it. I make no profit. Please don't sue.

A/N: I really enjoy writing this story. However, I have noticed that I've made little to no mention of the horcruxes. I shall rectify that. Lol. Thank you! And enjoy!

A/N2: I just realized that the song "We Are the Champions" by Queen fits pretty well with Harry. Lol. It made me smile as I was listening to it and I almost laughed out loud, but my roommate is sleeping… lol. Just a random thought for anybody who cares!

Chapter 16 (This story is moving so SLOW don't you think? Three days have passed in like the last TEN chapters! Lol… should it move a bit faster? Do you think?)

XVI

"So… your relatives were pretty awful, huh?" Draco said as he and Harry walked along the edge of the lake.

Harry nodded. "My uncle was the worst. He blamed _everything_ on me… whether Dudley's computer broke or he lost a deal at work. And he had no qualms about punishing me for it. Dudley was almost as bad, though. He and his friends used to hunt me down and beat me up for fun. And I didn't have any friends until Hogwarts, because all of the kids were too afraid of him and his gang to even approach me."

"What about your aunt?" Draco asked, "Surely she noticed something."

"I don't know…" Harry replied, shrugging, "If she did, she never said anything or tried to stop it."

Draco sighed. "That's almost worse, when you think about it."

"At least they've realized their mistakes, now, and are trying to make amends," Harry said, "With them testifying against Vernon at the trial, there's no way they'll send me to jail."

Draco nodded, though inside he was fuming with rage. How could Harry forgive them so easily?! Why didn't he want revenge? It occurred to Draco, then, that Harry was probably the most innocent, kind-hearted person he'd ever met- that he ever _would_ meet.

Neither of them were aware of the figure following them silently and invisibly, collecting every piece of information she heard.

Harry sighed suddenly. "I really wish you'd give your dad a chance, Draco. I think he's really changed."

"You don't know him like I do," Draco replied stonily, "He has raped and murdered countless innocent people, Harry. In our home! I heard it happen… all of it. Every time. You don't know how sick and cruel he really is. He'd torture them for _hours_- sometimes _days_- and all he'd ever say about it was that he'd done what needed to be done…"

Harry pulled Draco into a tight embrace, kissing his neck tenderly. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to witness those things… but- I'm still going to give him a chance. I won't ask _you_ to, but… I have to hope for the best."

Draco smiled, finding it ironic that Harry was the one comforting _him_. "I'm fine. I got over it a while ago," he said, when Harry let him go, "You don't have to worry about me. What you need to worry about is- what you'll do if you _are_ convicted."

"Run away," Harry replied, "I'll apparate away from the courtroom to Grimmauld Place, continue searching for- Voldemort, under the disguise of a glamour. Once he's gone, I'll give myself up to the police and face the consequences of my actions."

Draco winced at the hollow tone of his voice. "What about me? What about the Weasleys and Hermione and all of the people who care about you?"

Harry stopped walking and turned to him. "They allow visitors. And I'll probably get out early for good behavior… but as for _you_… I don't know. Hopefully I won't be convicted, but if I am, I would fully expect you to move on. I wouldn't ask for you to wait for me, if that's what you're wondering."

"That's the problem, Harry. I think I _would_ wait," Draco said.

"Why? I'm not the end, Draco. There are plenty of others out there would love to be with you," Harry said, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"But none of them would be you. None of them would even _compare_ to you," Draco stated.

"How can you say that? We've been together for three days. And until August we hated each other," Harry replied, "How can you feel that- strongly already?"

"I don't really know. But there's a thin line between love and hate," Draco said, "All I know is that I feel- a connection with you. I think I always have. I just reacted differently to it before. And I don't want to lose that connection. Or you."

Harry smiled, taking Draco's hand in his and continuing to walk. "Then let's hope that Severus is a very good lawyer and that nothing happens to my aunt or my cousin."

"Harry!" Hermione called, running up to them, "I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Why?" he asked.

"There's been an attack," she panted, trying to catch her breath, "On Grimmauld Place."

Before another word could be spoken, Harry took off for the castle. Draco and Hermione followed at a slightly slower pace.

"Was anybody injured? Or- killed?" Draco asked.

"No. Thankfully, everybody was already there and Moody, Shacklebolt, Remus, Tonks, and Bill were able to subdue and capture most of those who attacked. However, a few did manage to get away," she replied, "There were a few burns and bruises, but Madame Pomfrey fixed them up fine."

Draco sighed in relief. "Thank Merlin!"

Harry yelled frantically at the gargoyle to let him in, but the stupid thing wouldn't budge!

"Is there a problem, Mr. Potter?" Severus asked when he came upon the boy.

"Yes! The dumb thing won't move and I need to get in!" Harry exclaimed, on the verge of tears.

Severus saw this and gave the password just and Hermione and Draco came around the corner. Harry ran up the stairs and into the office, stopping when he saw Remus talking to McGonagal. He practically lunged at the man, hugging him tightly, unable to hold the tears at bay.

"Hermione… said there was an attack," he gasped, "I thought- I was sure that you were… thank God!"

Remus smiled, returning the embrace. "Everybody is fine, Harry. We captured most of them and Moody and Shacklebolt are handling the Ministry as we speak."

Harry nodded, but refused to let Remus go. He was still shaken by the fact that he could have lost the closest thing he had to family… his last link to his parents. Remus, the Weasleys, Hermione, Hagrid… they were all he had left, and he didn't think he could bear losing any of them.

Draco and Hermione smiled at the pair. "Harry really loves him, doesn't he?"

Hermione nodded. "Remus is like- a father, or a very close uncle to Harry. He's the only connection Harry has left to his parents."

Harry finally drew away from Remus and addressed McGonagal. "How did this happen? I thought HQ was under the Fidelius Charm?"

"It was. But, as Albus was the Secret Keeper, the charm died with him. We were confident that it would remain safe, though, because nobody knew of it besides those who had been there," McGonagal said, "However, it would seem that we have a spy among us."

"Who do you think it is?" Harry asked.

"I'll tell you who it is!" Moody growled, having just come through the fireplace, "It's that Malfoy brat!"

"Me? Why would I-!?"

"It couldn't have been Draco," Harry said, interrupting him, "I've barely left his side since he came to stay at The Leaky Cauldron this summer."

"Besides, Voldemort wants him _dead_, remember?" Hermione added.

"Alastor," Remus said, "Have you forgotten that they referred to their source as 'she'? The spy is a girl."

"So, who's been to HQ who is a girl?" Draco asked.

"Tonks, Mrs. Weasley, Professor McGonagal, Fleur, Hermione, Ginny…" Harry listed.

"All just as unlikely as the next," Shacklebolt said, sighing.

"Wait! Bellatrix Lestrange!" Harry exclaimed, "She was Sirius' cousin! _She_ would probably know about the house…"

He felt his hatred for the woman rise to an unimaginable level. She killed Sirius, and now she was putting the rest of his family in danger! _'That bitch will pay… I swear that I'll kill her…'_

"That is- highly probable," McGonagal said, "However, just in case, we'll keep our eyes open for any suspicious behavior. I would advise you all to do the same. You should be more aware of your surroundings and keep incriminating conversations to private, warded areas."

They nodded.

"Harry… don't you have Quidditch practice?" Draco said, noticing that the clock said it was ten minutes after four.

Harry looked at the time. "Bloody-! I have to go. See you all later!"

Quidditch practice ran late, and by the time Harry left the locker room, it was nearly time for dinner. Draco was waiting for him by the doors to the castle. Harry smiled at him.

"Walk me to dinner?" he said.

Draco grinned. "Why else would I be waiting here like an idiot?"

Harry laughed. "Man, I'm starving! I hope they've got those little chickens…"

Draco shook his head. "I _really_ think that Weasley's rubbed off on you."

Dinner went by quickly, and by the end of it, Harry couldn't even look at food. He walked up to Draco's room and, after whispering the password, walked in. Draco had just gotten out of the shower and was pulling on his sleep pants when Harry came in. He looked up and smiled when he saw him.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather sleep in you dorm?" Draco asked.

"I'm sure. In fact, I'll probably have Dobby bring my things here, eventually," Harry replied, "Since you're so intent on keeping me…"

"You're damn right. You're mine now, Potter," Draco said, chuckling.

"Two years ago, I probably would have punched you in the face for that," Harry said, crossing the room to the blonde, "But now I just want to kiss you…"

"What's stopping you?" Draco breathed, just before Harry wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him sweetly.

Draco smiled against his lips, pulling Harry closer and taking control of the kiss quickly. When they parted, they smiled, both content to just hold the other and be held.

"I'm really scared, Draco," Harry whispered, leaning his head on his shoulder.

Draco loosened his grip. "Don't worry. I won't do anything…"

"No! That's not it," Harry replied, "I'm scared because- I feel a connection to you, too. I'm scared because being with you- like that- _doesn't_ really scare me all that much. You're different, somehow. The thought of anybody else- touching me is… terrifying, but- not you. And, most of all, I'm scared because- if I lost you, I don't think I could go on. The fact that my feelings for you are that deep and strong… in so little time…"

Draco smiled, pulling Harry toward the bed and sitting down with him in his lap. "You don't have to worry about losing me. I'm not going anywhere."

"But- Voldemort knows we're together. He'll target you even more now," Harry said.

"It'll be fine. I can take care of myself. Besides, we're at Hogwarts. There are plenty of people here who would fight him," Draco said, "And as for your feelings for me… I'm glad that you feel that way. The fear of others will dissipate with time, but I'm really happy that you're not afraid of me. You _can_ trust me, Harry. I won't push you for anything. We can take it slow until you're ready."

Harry smiled, curling himself around Draco and burying his face in the other boy's neck. "I really lucked out with you, didn't I?"

Draco laughed. "Yeah, you pretty much did."

Harry sighed contentedly. "I don't want to go back to classes tomorrow. This weekend has been far too nice."

"Don't you miss your friends?" Draco asked.

"I just saw them yesterday," Harry replied, "And I'll see them every Saturday, won't I? And I can't seem to escape Ron and Hermione."

Draco grinned. "Yes… rather annoying, that."

"See? It's not as though I never see them. I just don't see them as much as I would if I were staying in the dorm," Harry said, "Which isn't that much more, actually. I was usually off with Ron and Hermione anyway."

"I suppose that's true. Still… we _do_ have to go to classes," Draco said, "I don't want to go back any more than you do."

"Whatever. I can't wait for Christmas break," Harry said.

"We've still got three months before that," Draco stated.

Harry groaned. "You're such a buzz-kill, Draco!"

"Just being realistic," Draco said, "But there's only five days until the next weekend. And it's a Hogsmeade weekend."

Harry smiled. "Thank Merlin."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments before Draco shifted them into a laying position. "Do you want to go with me?"

"Hmm?" Harry said, cuddling up to Draco.

"Do you want to go with me to Hogsmeade?" Draco asked again, a little hesitantly.

"That would be nice," Harry said, looking up at Draco and smiling brightly, "Kind of like a first date."

Draco grinned. "Exactly like a first date."

"What is this about a date?" Hermione asked, coming in through the bathroom.

"Hello, Hermione. Why, yes, you may enter my room. Thank you so much for _knocking_," Draco said pointedly.

Ron smirked, entering after his girlfriend. "You expect her to knock? She never even knocked when she was coming into the boys' dorm up in Gryffindor Tower. Just walks in like she owns the place, no matter if anybody's naked or anything."

Harry grinned. "Remember the first time she walked in when _Neville_ was changing?"

Ron burst into laughter at the memory. "Oh God! He was so embarrassed! I didn't think it was humanly possible for anybody to turn that completely red! Absolutely hilarious!"

Hermione cleared her throat rather loudly. "If you're finished? Thank you. Now, what about a date?"

"We're going to Hogsmeade together," Harry replied.

"I see. I don't suppose you'd be willing to make time for a butterbeer with some friends?" she said.

"We might be able to squeeze you in," Draco drawled dramatically.

She smiled. "Good. You're not going to bed already, are you?"

"No, we were just lying down and talking," Harry said, "Why?"

"Oh! Well, I just thought maybe you two would like to go down by the lake," she said, "It's a rather beautiful night, and it's a full moon… maybe you'd like to show Draco the Whomping Willow, Harry."

"Why would I want to… oh," he grinned slyly, "Yes. Let's go see the Whomping Willow."

"Why? It's just a moody old tree," Draco said.

Harry pulled him off of the bed, dragging him out of the room. "Just come on. I want to show you something!"

Draco waved goodbye to Hermione and Ron before following Harry out of the castle, whining the entire way to the tree. Harry found a long stick and prodded the appropriate knot on the tree, making it freeze. Draco raised an eyebrow in surprise, but Harry just smiled and led him down into the secret passageway.

"It's filthy in here! How do you even know about this?" Draco whined, "Where are we going? It had better be cleaner than this… ugh! I think I may have just stepped on a rat!"

"Quit being such a girl!" Harry teased, knowing how Draco hated being called feminine, "Hermione didn't even whine that much when she was down here."

This effectively shut Draco up, but he still muttered about rats and filth under his breath.

Finally, they reached the decrepit building and Harry pushed him into the room. "This, Draco, is the Shrieking Shack."

He turned to look at the Gryffindor, shocked. "Seriously? We're _in_ the Shrieking Shack? Bloody hell! Isn't this place supposed to be haunted?"

Harry smiled sadly. "No… it's not haunted…" He relayed the tale of the marauders and how Remus would come here for his monthly transformations, and how James, Sirius, and Peter Pettigrew became animagi to keep him company.

"Wow. Just… wow," Draco said, "You know, we could fix this place up a bit. Make it a bit more habitable. It would make a decent hang out with a good- a _really_ good cleaning and some restorative charms."

Harry grinned. "Do what you want. It's not like- they need it anymore…"

Draco kissed his forehead gently. "Thank you for telling me that. I know it's probably hard for you to talk about your father and Sirius."

"Yeah. It gets easier, though," Harry said, "So, what are you planning? Because I know you already have a thousand ideas running through your mind."

He smiled as Draco rattled on about cleaning and decorating and all of the things that could be done with the house. The blonde looked like- well, like a small child at Christmas, for lack of a better analogy.

"Draco," Harry said, interrupting his planning, "It's nearly curfew. We should get back."

Draco conceded to this and they left for the castle, with Draco casting cleaning charms on the tunnel the entire way. Harry chuckled at his obsessive compulsive behavior, but held his tongue.

They went to bed early that night, wanting to be completely rested for classes the next day. They figured that they would need all of the energy they could get to deal with their peers. Not to mention, whatever else would be thrown at them…

XVI

Chapter sixteen is done! Within the next couple chapters, a bit more time is going to pass. I don't know whether to skip to Halloween, or Christmas… most likely Halloween. Lol. Don't want to get the trial out of the way _too_ fast. Where would the fun be in that?


	17. Memories

A/N: Woot! New chapter! Okay… this only took a million years… lol. I can't believe I'm already on chapter SEVENTEEN!!! This is officially the longest story I have ever written… I'm rather proud of myself. Lol.

Chapter Seventeen

XVII

The next couple of months went by as a blur for Harry. There were the meetings with Severus to discuss his approaching trial, the G.A.S. meetings, classes, and- Draco. Their relationship was growing stronger with every passing day. Harry spent every night with the blonde and they were a common sight around the castle, now. They studied together, at together, went to Hogsmeade together…

They did, sometime in early October, decide that time apart was just as important as time together. So they didn't do _everything_ together. They had time to be alone and time to be with their friends. Then, there were the classes they didn't share and Quidditch practice for Harry.

Before they knew it, it was the day of Halloween, and preparations for the dance were completed. It had been McGonagal's idea to 'increase inter-House relationships'. It was open to fourth through seventh year students, just like the Yule Ball, and had been officially dubbed a Masquerade Ball.

"So… what's your costume, Harry?" Ron was asking for the hundredth time that day.

"I'm _not_ telling. You'll find out tonight," Harry replied.

"Come on! You can tell your best mate," Ron said.

"No! _Draco_ doesn't even know, and he's my boyfriend. Nobody is going to know until the dance," Harry said stubbornly.

Ron sighed. "Fine. But it had better be good with all of this secrecy…"

Harry grinned, thinking just how good his costume was. _'I'm sure that Draco will get the most enjoyment out of it, though…'_

Eight o'clock rolled around and people were beginning to fill the Great Hall, which was decorated in floating jack-o-lanterns, spider webs, and live bats. Remus, Severus, and McGonagal were the chaperones and there were tables set up along the walls and piled with snacks and drinks. Flitwick had even managed to work it so that music played loudly from the walls.

Hermione was dressed- rather scantily- as a black cat, Ron had been persuaded into being the Phantom of the Opera, Seamus was a hobo, Dean was a police officer, Neville was a cowboy, and Ginny was a belly dancer. Millicent was dressed as a western barmaid- to match Neville, her boyfriend of three weeks- and Pansy and Theodore, also a new couple, were dressed as an Egyptian God and Goddess. Crabbe and Goyle had opted to dress as dementors, Lavender and Parvati had decided to dress up like boys, and Blaise was dressed as a pirate.

Draco had decided to go as a vampire in tight black pants, a button up white shirt with long, puffed sleeves which was mostly unbuttoned, black boots, and a long black cloak. His hair was down about his shoulders and magically enhanced canine teeth gleamed whenever he smirked.

"Where the bloody hell is Harry?" Ron growled, "We've had to wait all day and… now…" He trailed off as he stared toward the doors, mouth agape.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, following his line of sight. "_Harry_?!"

Indeed, it was. He was dressed in tight fitting leather shorts, black boots… and nothing else. He had obviously charmed his entire body to be hairless, and his skin glowed in the ethereal light. His hair was its usual messy mass of raven locks, but somehow it just looked more- sexy. Like he'd just been shagged out of his mind. His glasses had been abandoned for the night in favor of a temporary vision correcting spell, leaving his startling green eyes unhidden and sparkling with mischief in the dim lighting. As he drew closer, they noticed a simple black collar around his neck with the initials 'DM' embroidered on the front in silver filigree. He grinned when he saw their faces.

"What are you supposed to be?" Ron exclaimed.

"Well… Draco's pet, of course," Harry replied, smiling sweetly.

"Damn, Potter!" Blaise said, giving a low whistle, "If you weren't with Dray…"

Harry chuckled, much more at ease with this kind of banter, now.

Draco, on the other hand, did _not_ seem pleased with the looks Harry was receiving. He growled low, grabbing the smaller boy by the arm and dragging him into a corner, where he pushed him up against the wall, perhaps a little more roughly than necessary.

Harry's eyes widened at the uncharacteristic display of aggression. "What? What's wrong?"

"What are you thinking, coming in here dressed like- _that_?" Draco hissed.

"Y-you don't like it?" Harry asked, his voice shaking a little, "I only wore this for you…"

Draco groaned in frustration. "Of _course_ I like it, you dolt. What I don't like is how much everybody _else_ seems to like it."

Harry blushed. "Sorry…"

Before he could say anything more, Draco crushed his lips to his boyfriend's. The kiss was heated, to say the least, and sent little jolts of electricity down Harry's spine. When they pulled apart, Draco took a moment to fully appreciate the outfit. His eyes were drawn to Harry's chest, where a silver hoop glinted against smooth, hairless skin. He flashed a wicked grin.

"I think you just answered the poll…" he said.

Harry laughed, remembering the Daily Prophet article. "Only a third of it."

Draco kissed him again, sweetly.

"Feel better?" Harry asked.

"Much," Draco replied, "Now… we should get back before they send a search party."

Harry pouted a bit, but followed him back to their friends nonetheless. Ron was still gaping at him, while Hermione smirked and the others simply grinned approvingly. He blushed when he realized that was receiving similar looks from the majority of those attending the dance. Maybe Draco had been right…

And then Draco pulled him onto the dance floor, and all of his insecurities melted away. The song switched to a pulsing techno beat and Draco grinned like the Cheshire Cat.

Just as Harry opened his mouth to say something, the blonde pulled him close. With his hands on Harry's hips, he guided the boy to sway with the quick rhythm. Harry's hands, in turn, went around Draco's neck, and when Draco ground into him, he closed his eyes and gasped, his head falling back.

Draco chuckled, continuing the motion until the song ended and he was dragged off of the dance floor by a flushed and panting Harry. He found himself drawn into a dark corner- the same one he had pulled Harry into- and pushed up against the wall. He grinned. He loved it when Harry got assertive.

He barely had time to process this thought before Harry crushed their lips together in a demanding kiss. His hands found their way up to tangle in the mess of unruly raven locks. He tugged lightly, then a little harder, pulled their mouths apart so his could reattach itself to Harry's neck and earlobe, sucking, licking, and biting lightly.

Harry gasped and then groaned softly. "You'd better… take care of this- problem you gave me…" he panted.

Draco smirked. "Not here. Later…"

"Promise?" Harry breathed.

Draco kissed him sweetly. "Promise."

Little did they know that somebody had been watching this scene with hatred and distaste, already planning something special for the Boy-Who-Lived… as well as his _lover_.

"We've really go to stop disappearing on them like that. They might get the wrong idea…" Draco said, smirking.

"Or- worse… they might get the _right_ idea," Harry grinned.

Draco elbowed him in the side, lightly, making the boy laugh. They rejoined their friends- for the second time- after grabbing drinks and plates loaded with sweets. When Hermione asked them why they kept sneaking off, Harry blushed brightly.

"I see…" she said, laughing.

"I _knew_ Malfoy was pressuring you for sex!" Ron joked.

Harry's blush only darkened.

Draco draped an arm around Harry's shoulders, holding him loosely. "I'll have you know that I've never had to pressure him for anything."

Harry groaned in mortification.

"You guys are terrible!" Ginny exclaimed, trying to stifle her own laughter, "Oh, Harry… I'm going to run to the snack table; do you want me to get you another pumpkin juice?"

"Sure, Gin. Thanks," he replied.

"After this, I think we should have our own little party," Blaise said, smirking, "In Draco's room."

"With that handy bottle of Harry's!" Seamus added.

"Harry and I are having a _private_ party. Just the two of us," Draco said, "I promised him… and I can't break a promise, now can I?"

If there was ever a time that Harry wanted to just disappear… this would be it. "Draco…" he whined, covering his face with one hand.

The blonde merely laughed.

"Oh! By the way, Harry," Hermione said, "Has there been any word about- er… Vernon?"

"Hmm? The same. He's still unconscious, still stable," Harry replied soberly, just as Ginny returned with their drinks. He took his gratefully, downing it in a single gulp.

"I see…" she said, "Sorry. I meant to ask earlier, but… oh! Now I've ruined your night, haven't I?"

Harry laughed at her antics. "No, 'Mione. You haven't ruined my night. Don't worry."

She smiled warmly. "Good. You two should go dance some more."

"Why is that?" Draco asked.

"Well, because you two look so lovely when you dance together," she replied, still smiling.

Harry blushed.

"It's bloody sexy, is what it is!" Seamus exclaimed.

Draco laughed, grabbing Harry's hand and pulling him onto the dance floor. "Come on. Shall we fuel their imaginations a bit more?"

They danced to three more songs before their thirst got the better of them and they decided to stop. Of course, their reasoning had _nothing_ to do with the rather obvious erections they both were sporting… They sat down and Harry summoned some drinks. Thankfully, the table hid their 'problems', so none of their friends were any the wiser. And if they were, they gave no indication.

When a particularly popular song by The Weird Sisters began playing and everybody went to dance, Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

Draco smirked. "What do you say I go ahead and take care of _this_…"

Harry gasped when Draco traced the bulge in his shorts with a finger. "N-Not here…"

"Do you really want to wait until this thing is over?" Draco asked.

"Couldn't we leave early? Go back to the room… with the bed… and the _door_…" Harry panted as Draco continued to lightly caress him under the table.

"But that's so far away," Draco said, kissing him sweetly.

"Ah! Please… Draco… the room," Harry gasped and raised his eyes to meet the smoldering blue-gray gaze, licking his lips, "I want you naked…"

Draco shuddered. Gods, Harry knew just how to get to him! He kissed the boy again, harder this time, moaning into his mouth. He stood, dragging Harry up with him, and they made their way quickly out of the room. They ran up the stairs to the room, laughing and kissing the whole way.

When they finally shut the door behind them, Draco tackled him to the floor, attaching his mouth to every inch of naked skin that had been taunting him all evening. Harry's breath was coming in short pants and gasps and he moaned wantonly when Draco pulled on the silver hoop hanging from his nipple with his teeth, before licking the abused nub soothingly. Just as Draco's hand reached into the boy's shorts to grip his cock, he screamed.

It was a blood chilling scream of pure terror, as if he were experiencing every horror of the world simultaneously. Draco pulled back, scared that he'd caused another breakdown or relapse. What he saw when he looked down at Harry nearly stopped his heart.

He was trembling violently and clutching at his throat as though to remove- somebody's hands. Tears were streaming steadily from his eyes… which were wide and unblinking. His eyes frightened Draco the most. They were- blank. Vacant. He wasn't actually staring at anything in particular, but it was like his gaze had turned inward and he was seeing some phantom attacker in his mind.

Suddenly, his body jerked as though struck and Draco gave a choked half-sob, half-scream when he saw blood begin pooling around the boy's thighs. He needed help! He pulled the charmed necklace his godfather had gotten him for his birthday and clutched it, silently calling for the man.

Severus appeared in the room a moment later, holding onto his own opal necklace. He took in the sight before him and felt fear bubble up in his chest.

"Sev… help him…" Draco sobbed after Harry gave another scream.

"_Mobilicorpus_…" Severus whispered, levitating Harry to infirmary as quickly as possible, "What happened?" he asked as Madame Pomfrey scanned Harry.

"We were- snogging and then he just screamed… I've never heard anybody scream like that, Sev. Not even when Dad was torturing them…" Draco said, his voice shaking, "And then… you saw. I don't know what happened. He was doing so well…"

"I don't think it was a relapse," Severus said, sighing.

"You're right Severus," Poppy said as she administered potions and salves to the boy, "Did anybody besides Mr. Potter come into contact with his food or drink?"

"Just me and… Ginny Weasley got him a drink once," Draco replied, "Pumpkin Juice."

"I see…" Poppy said, pursing her lips. She performed one last scan before closing the curtains around Harry's bed.

"What happened?" Draco asked.

"It seems that Mr. Potter consumed the _Malus Memoria_ potion. It can be made tasteless and is usually a brownish-orange color, so it would easy to slip into Pumpkin Juice without being noticed. Especially in a dark dance room," Poppy replied, "It causes not only a person's mind, but also their _body_ to experience all of their very worst memories all at once. It is quite Dark and very dangerous and was declared illegal by the Ministry of Magic over a century ago."

Draco sighed. "I can't believe Ginny Weasley would do something like that. She was so kind to Harry over the summer and sympathetic about what had happened." He paused for a moment, thinking. "She _has_ been acting rather strange this year, though. Almost like- she's two different people…"

""What are you thinking, Draco?" Severus asked.

"That we need to keep an eye on the youngest Weasley until I research some things," Draco said, "If I'm right, and I think I am, then- well, it'll explain a couple people's odd behavior…"

"What…?" Poppy started, but Draco shook his head.

"I'm not saying anything else until I have more information," Draco stated, "Maybe I'll have Hermione help me out. She probably knows that library better than Madame Pince."

Severus smiled. The child was unstoppable once he had a theory. And, just like every other time, he was probably right about whatever he was thinking. Draco had the best instinct Severus had ever witnessed and the boy had a way of figuring situations out that would rival most fully trained aurors.

"Sev… could you possibly go and get Hermione? And Ron, as well, I suppose," Draco said, "But nobody else. I need to speak with them and I don't want everybody and their bloody grandmother present."

Severus nodded, leaving the room swiftly. _'Draco… I sincerely hope you're right about what you're thinking. Harry doesn't need anymore betrayals in his life…'_

XII

Ugh. This chapter is such crap! Lol. I'm sorry to all of you who feel disappointed by how crap this chapter is… sigh The next one will be better, I promise! Please leave a review on your way out! Thnx!


	18. Secrets

Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter related. It all belongs to JKR and WB and some other ppl. I make no money or profit of any kind from this story. It is purely fanmade and does reflect the opinions of those affiliated with the Potterverse.

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. I've been trying to sort through some possibilities and ideas in my head. Hopefully this will be a good one though! A lot of mystery and whatnot coming up! So be prepared!

XVIII (I can't believe it's already chapter eighteen!! OMG!)

Severus did as Draco asked, finding Hermione and Ron and bringing them to the infirmary. They entered the room and immediately rushed to Harry's bedside, demanding answers about his condition and what had happened and who had done something this terrible and so forth. Draco put a hand up to silence them.

"Madame Pomfrey, may we use one of your private rooms for this discussion? I don't want to be overheard by anybody," Draco asked.

"Of course, Mr. Malfoy," she said.

Once they were in a more secure environment, Draco explained all that had happened and his theory.

Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment. "It actually makes a lot of sense. I remember reading something about that a while back… but it didn't go into too much detail."

"I still don't understand exactly what it is you're talking about, but if it's for Harry… I'll hit the books as hard as you need me to," Ron stated firmly.

Draco, knowing the red-head's aversion to studying of any kind, was moved by the statement. "Thank you. Now… it's probably going to be difficult, considering we don't know exactly what to be looking for, but I'm pretty sure any useful books will be in the Restricted Section, which narrows down our search a _lot_."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Hopefully, we can find some way to prove, without a doubt, whether or not what Draco is thinking is the truth. As well as a way to reverse it without damaging anything in the process."

"That's what I was hoping for," Draco said.

They spent another few moments discussing possible references, whether or not to tell Harry what they were doing- they decided against it, agreeing that there was no point to further worrying the boy- and whether or not to involve the Order, which they also decided against. After all, it wouldn't do to go throwing about accusations without any proof. Finally, they emerged from the little room and Severus looked at them curiously.

"Don't even ask, Sev. I told you, you'll get nothing out of me until I have more information," Draco said.

"What kind of world do we live in when children know more about situations than adults?" Severus grumbled.

"The kind that promises a very bright future!" Hermione said in a cheery tone.

"Now, we're heading to the library. If Harry wakes up while we're there, tell him…" Draco trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Tell him that we're talking to Blaise and Pansy about some possible new members. He'll know what it means, so don't worry about it," Ron said.

Severus rolled his eyes. "More secrets and special codes…"

"However, for no reason are you to tell him what we're doing. Give him as little information as you can," Draco said, "Trust me. It's for his own good."

They nodded. "Would you like to be alerted, should he wake?" Madame Pomfrey asked.

"Immediately," they replied.

They went to the library and grabbed as many seemingly relevant books as they could, setting up a station at the back, where nobody would find them and ask questions about what they were doing. They were sitting there, just reading and taking notes, occasionally asking for the others' opinions, for so long that Madame Pince actually had to _make_ them leave, saying that they could take _all_ of the books if they really needed to, but that she had to close the library.

So they relocated their work to Hermione's room, sprawled over the bed and floor. It was well into the night when there was a knock at the door. Hermione answered and all they had to hear was Severus saying, "He's awake," before all three were out the door, following him back to the infirmary.

Harry grinned when they entered. "I was surprised when you weren't hovering over me when I woke."

They could hear in his tone that he was more disappointed than surprised and instantly felt guilt rising in their stomachs.

"We're sorry, Harry," Hermione said, sitting on the side of his bed, "We were with Blaise and Pansy discussing possible members in the other Houses. It just ended up taking longer than we thought."

"I understand. It's a good idea. The more people we can get, the better," Harry said.

"That's what we were thinking," Ron stated.

"So… what exactly happened. I just remember blacking out and then I woke up here," Harry said.

"You don't remember anything?" Draco asked.

He shook his head.

"It's a common effect of the potion," Madame Pomfrey said.

"What potion?" Harry asked.

Draco shot the mediwitch a look and then turned to Harry. "The _Malus Memoria_ Potion. It makes you relive the worst memories of your life, in mind and body."

"Oh… Merlin, Draco! I must've given you quite a scare!" Harry exclaimed.

"You did," Draco replied, remembering the desperate fear he'd felt.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to stay here for a few days, Mr. Potter. You sustained a bit of nerve damage from the convulsions and the mental trauma. It will need some time to repair," Madame Pomfrey said.

"You three will also be excused from classes for tomorrow," Severus said, "Due to the amount of stress and worry caused by the incident."

They gaped at him. He was giving them permission to miss classes?!

"Thanks, Sev," Draco said, smiling in relief. It _was_ ridiculously late and he had not been looking forward to waking up so early.

"So… do we have any idea of who might have done this?" Harry asked.

"Not a clue," Hermione lied expertly, "But we're working on it. It's part of the reason we're looking into allies in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. We need contacts in the other Houses to pass information on about any more possible schemes."

Harry grinned. "That's perfect."

"I know…" she said.

He yawned. "I'm so tired…"

"It's understandable, after what happened," Severus said.

"Yeah, mate. You go on ahead and rest as much as you need. We'll just have to find a way to entertain ourselves while you're in lockup," Ron said.

"And we'll visit you as much as we can," Hermione said, "After all, who else is going to make sure you actually _do_ your homework while you're here?"

He groaned. "Yeah… thanks a lot, 'Mione."

"You're ever so welcome," she said, placing a soft kiss to his brow.

He smiled drowsily. "That reminds me… Draco?"

The blonde grinned affectionately, moving to replace Hermione on the side of his bed. "I know…" he said, leaning over and kissing him sweetly, "Now get some sleep. You need to get out of here as soon as possible, so I can get back to lavishing you with attention."

He nodded and promptly fell asleep.

"I don't suppose I have any chance of getting any answers out of you three," Severus said.

"Nope. And don't even think about trying to slip us some Veritaserum," Draco said, "Because I'll know."

"Brat," the man said, grinning, "Well, get back to your research, then."

They said their goodbyes and headed back to Hermione's room. After another hour of scouring the piles of books for any clues, Ron finally broke. "Honestly! I haven't found anything yet! None of us have! Obviously this doesn't happen very often, so what are the odds of it happening now?"

"Ron, it all makes sense," Hermione said calmly, "Even you have to admit that there really isn't any other explanation. Except for one. But… that's just too hard to believe."

"Well, maybe we _should_ believe! Maybe we should just face up to the facts and address the issue at hand!" Ron continued to bellow, "Because I don't think that any one of us is going to pick up one of these books and magically find all of the answers!"

To demonstrate the futility of this act, he randomly selected a book and flipped in open to a random page. "You see, now? It's completely point- hey! I found something!"

Hermione rolled her eyes, but snatched the book away. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the middle of the page, where, sure enough, there lie the answers they had so desperately been looking for. She sighed and fell back on the bed, clutching the book to her chest.

"It's typical. I spend the better part of my life reading and researching, and when it comes down to it, all he had to do was pick it up and open it," she said, laughing quietly, "Thank Merlin for your luck, Ron."

"That can't be it," Draco said, "There's got to be more."

"Well of course there is. There is a long, complicated spell that must be done to either prove or disprove your theory. And then there is, of course, the ritual to reverse it. But it's all here," she said, showing him the book. They flipped through the pages and found that it explained everything they needed to do, in great detail, including the precautions that could be taken to prevent damaging the victim.

"Well… all I can say is you must have some damn good karma," Draco said to Ron, who grinned sheepishly, "Or Fate really owed you a favor."

"I'm banking on the favor," Hermione said.

"Hey! I'm a good person!" Ron exclaimed.

She laughed. "I know, I know. I was just joking, Ron."

"Yeah, Ronald. Get a sense of humor…" Draco scoffed, grinning.

"Shove off, ya' ponce," Ron said, laughing.

Draco chuckled. "We should probably get to bed. We may be excused from classes, but we still have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

Ron groaned. "Can't even have one bloody free day…"

"It's called _weekends_," Hermione said, smiling.

"Slave driver…" he mumbled.

"I was thinking… maybe we _should_ recruit from the other Houses," Hermione said, ignoring Ron's childish remark, "I mean… it may be called the 'Gold and Silver Society', but it's all about inter-house unity, right? Well, who says Gryffindor and Slytherin are the only ones who need to work on that?"

"Fair enough. I'll get word to Pansy and Blaise to begin making arrangements," Draco said, "That way, it won't seem odd if Harry ever brings it up."

"Not to mention that if _they_ handle the recruiting, we can handle _this_ situation," Hermione added.

Ron just sighed. "I have a feeling my days of adolescent freedom are coming to an end."

"Those days came to an end a long time ago," Draco said.

"You just refuse to accept it," Hermione stated, smiling affectionately, "Anyway… to bed with us! We've got a long day of preparations and Harry coddling tomorrow!"

As Draco left for his own room, he heard, "And when is it time for _Ronald coddling_?" and Hermione's laughter. He smirked, shutting the door behind him, not really needing to hear the response. He collapsed onto his bed and sighed. It felt empty without Harry next to him. However, he did manage to find sleep that night. But only barely…

When Harry woke the next day, he was alone. Again… He sighed, falling further back into the pillows. He didn't know why it bothered him so much that they weren't there. They were probably sleeping, after all. Still…

Just as he was about to give up on any visitors for the day and go back to sleep, the door to the hospital wing opened and Lucius Malfoy walked in, smiling brightly. He strode over to Harry's bedside and promptly presented him with a soft brown teddy bear. He eyed it warily for only a moment before taking it and hugging it to his chest. Nobody had ever given him a stuffed animal before.

"Thank you," he said softly.

"I thought we might have a little bit of a chat," Lucius said, "While my son isn't here to drag you away from me."

Harry sat up. "What did you want to talk about?"

The man sat in a chair by the bed and leaned forward, looking at him very seriously. "What are your intentions with my son?"

Harry grinned. He sounded like the cliché muggle movie dads. "I don't really have any intentions, so to speak. I'd like to stay with him for as long as he'll let me. I want to protect him and take care of him and make sure he's always happy, for as long as I live."

"Those seem like some pretty big intentions to me," Lucius said, smiling, "And I'm happy to hear you say that. Now, have you two been… sexual… at all?"

Harry smirked darkly. "Didn't Voldemort tell you about what my _beloved_ uncle did?"

Lucius was momentarily caught off guard by the malice in the boy's voice. However, he quickly recovered. "I had thought that he was simply- I hadn't thought… it's _true_?"

He nodded, hugging the bear tighter. Lucius looked sadly at him, seeing just how young he was and realizing for the first time that he truly was just a boy.

"And Draco's not been pressuring you, has he?" Lucius asked.

Harry smiled. "Not at all. He's been really patient and sweet and he's given me all the time and space that I need."

"Good. If he ever tries, though, I want you to tell me, and I'll have a nice little father-son talk with him," Lucius said.

Harry laughed. "I will, thank you. But I don't think he'd do something like that."

Lucius was silent for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Do you love him?"

Harry blushed. "I don't… I don't know. I think so… I might…"

Lucius chuckled. "From the way that you talk about him, I'm almost positive that you do."

"How can you tell?" Harry asked.

"That special smile that appears only on the face of those who are truly in love," Lucius stated.

"R-really?" Harry said, "Because… I really think I am. Madly so, in fact."

"I thought as much. Have you told him of how you feel, yet?" Lucius asked.

"No… I haven't really found the perfect time. And… he hasn't said it yet, so I don't know how he feels about me," Harry said.

"Trust me," Lucius said, smiling softly, "I know my son very well, and I've never seen him act the way he does when he's with you."

Harry smiled. "I suppose I should tell him. I'll wait until I'm out of this place though… I don't think this is the proper setting to reveal one's feelings."

Lucius laughed. "No. It most definitely is not."

They spent a few more moments discussing inane things, such as classes and Hogsmeade weekends and what his plans were for the winter hols, until Lucius could tell that the boy had grown fatigued and stood.

"I'll take my leave. You need to get as much rest as you can, young man. I'm sure that Draco is going mad without you around," Lucius said, ruffling his hair affectionately.

"Alright. Thank you again. For the bear… he's lovely," Harry murmured, still hugging the gift as he fell asleep.

Lucius left the infirmary with a smile on his face, wondering at how he had taken such a liking to Harry in such a short amount of time. And blissfully unaware of the many plots and schemes circling around him at that very moment.

"We shouldn't wake him…" he heard as he slowly regained consciousness.

"He would want to know!" another voice argued.

He cracked an eye open to see Ron and Blaise arguing while Pansy and Hermione simply shook their heads.

"What, exactly, would I want to know?" he asked.

"Oh, good! You're awake!" Hermione said, "We just thought you would like to know that Madame Pomfrey told us your dad paid Harry a visit earlier today."

"What?!" he exclaimed, throwing the covers away and jumping out of bed, "Why wasn't I told the moment he arrived at the infirmary?!"

"We figured you probably hadn't gotten very much sleep… so we didn't want to disturb you," Pansy said.

"_We_ nothing! I wanted to tell him straight away!" Ron exclaimed, "You bloody wankers wouldn't let me!"

"Harry's fine, though," Hermione stated, "They apparently had a pretty nice talk. And your dad was really kind."

"He brought Harry a little stuffed teddy bear. Harry was hugging it rather tightly when we checked on him earlier," Pansy said, grinning, "It was sweet."

Hermion raised a hand to silence his protests. "I scanned it for any curses or spells, before you even ask. It was just a normal teddy bear."

He scowled at them, or tried, but he lost it and just sighed, sitting on the bed.

"Draco, don't worry. We'll have our answers soon enough," Hermione said.

He nodded. "I know… but I still can't help but worrying."

"I understand, but I don't think you have anything to worry about at the moment," Hermione replied.

"Is he awake now?" Draco asked.

"No, he's sleeping," Ron said, "But Madame Pomfrey said that she had to wake him in about an hour to run some more tests. And we can visit him then."

Draco sighed. "Good."

"You really _didn't_ get any sleep last night, did you?" Blaise said, grinning.

"Barely any. I'm so used to sharing a bed with Harry that it's hard to sleep without him here," Draco stated.

"That's so cute!" Pansy said, smiling merrily.

Blaise and Ron groaned simultaneously and grinned at each other.

"So… did you tell them about our plans for G.A.S.?" Draco asked.

"Yes, they did, and we've already begun working on it," Pansy said.

Draco smirked. "Of course you are. You guys are seriously the best."

"We know," Blaise said.

"Well! We all have some work to do, so we should probably get to it," Hermione said, giving Draco a pointed look.

"Unfortunately, she's right," Draco said, "I'll come find you two after dinner to discuss any possible new members you may have found."

Pansy and Blaise nodded, taking their leave.

"So, more research do you think? Or should we just proceed with our plan?" Ron asked.

"I'm going to research and practice that spell," Draco said, "Why don't you guys start taking notes on the reversal process?"

They nodded, cracking the book open to the place they'd marked. They spent the better part of an hour like this before it was time to visit Harry.

"Hey, guys!" Harry said when they walked in, "Pomfrey's just finished her tests. She says I have to spend one more night here and then I can leave tomorrow morning."

"That's great, Harry," Hermione said, "Have you been keeping up with your schoolwork at all?"

He laughed. "Yes, I have. Seamus and Dean brought me everything I missed. Don't worry."

Draco sat on the edge of his bed and Harry moved over to give him more room. "I heard Dad came by today."

Harry nodded. "He did. And look what he brought me!" He showed them the bear that he still had tucked safely within the circle of his arms. "Nobody's ever given me a stuffed animal before… so I've decided to name him Uno! Since he's my first teddy bear, you know."

They smiled at his child-like enthusiasm.

"What did you two talk about?" Draco asked, trying to sound casual and only just managing it.

Harry laughed again. "Actually, he wanted to ask me what my intentions toward you were. And then we talked about… some other stuff…" He blushed, remembering his candid confession to the man regarding his feelings for Draco. "Mostly we just talked about classes and you. Just normal things."

Draco quirked an eyebrow at the blush, but didn't press the matter. He didn't want to upset him while he was still recovering and risk a longer stay in the infirmary.

"Any luck with the new recruits?" Harry asked, changing the subject.

"Pansy and Blaise are still looking into it. I'm going to talk to them after dinner," Draco said, "Do you want me to bring them here? I'm sure they'd like to see you."

"Sure!" Harry said, smiling, "I really can't wait to be out of here… back in your room, with the big comfy bed…"

Draco grinned. "Tell me about it…"

"Have you had any trouble sleeping, Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head, knowing that she was asking about nightmares and visions. "I'm pretty sure Pomfrey's been dosing me up with Dreamless Sleep. Not that I'm complaining, of course."

"Has Sev been in to see you?" Draco asked.

"A couple times. He brought me his own copy of the notes for Potions today, and he said that he'd be back later to give me some kind of special restorative tea," he replied, smirking, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think he's grown a bit fond of me."

"Oh, he has. He'll never admit it, but he definitely has," Draco stated.

"Oh yeah… Ron, I was wondering if you could take over practice for tomorrow," Harry said abruptly.

"Why? You're going to be out of here by then, aren't you?" Ron said.

"Yeah, but I'm under strict instructions to rest tomorrow. And to take it easy for the next week or so. So… will you? You're the only person I trust enough with this," Harry said, "And the only person who knows enough about the plays- considering you came up with a great deal of them- to help the other players with them."

Ron swelled a bit with pride. "Alright, mate. I'll take over for you. Just… don't make a habit out of it."

"I'll try, but you know me," Harry said, making them laugh.

They ended up spending the majority of their afternoon with Harry, doing their homework together and planning out the following G.A.S. meeting and discussing prospective members in the other two houses. Eventually, Madame Pomfrey came bustling in and shooed them out for dinner.

"So…" Ron said as the door to the hospital wing was closed firmly behind them, "When are we going to do it?"

"I figure tomorrow before dinner," Draco said, "And if our suspicions are correct, we'll proceed with phase two at the meeting on Saturday."

They nodded in agreement and headed down to dinner, unaware of the pair of eyes that followed their movement from the shadows.

XVIII

Bwah hahahaha! Don't you just adore me?! I made you wait all that time and then I don't even give you any answers! I just love suspense! And trust me… I don't plan on revealing very much of anything for quite a while. Please review! Remember, it not only feeds the plot bunnies- vicious little bastards that they are- it also feeds the author and her muse!! So REVIEW!


	19. Ribbons and Bows

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. It is the respective property of J.K. Rowling and other affiliated ppl. NOT me. I make no money or profit of any kind from this story.

A/N: Wow… Chapter 19. This is definitely turning out to be the LONGEST story I've ever written in the history of my writing career. Lol. And it's not even half over! Gaw! Well, enjoy this installment and hopefully I'll get the next one up sooner rather than later!

~Chapter Nineteen~

The following day, Draco, Ron, and Hermione went to attending classes normally. However, Hermione was the only one who got anything accomplished. Harry would be released at the end of the day so they were all rather distracted. Add to that the culmination of their plans later that night and it was not a conducive state of mind for schoolwork.

Finally the last class of the day, Potions, was over and Draco sprang to his feet alongside Ron.

"Malfoy, Weasley, Granger," Severus snapped, "I'd like a word with you three."

Ron looked as though his head might at explode at any given moment and Draco would have laughed if he hadn't been feeling the exact same way. When the other students were gone, Draco strode up to the Potions Master's desk and slammed his head down on the hard surface.

"This had better be damn good, Sev!" he exclaimed angrily.

Severus quirked an eyebrow at him as he pulled one of the desk drawers open and drew from it what looked to be a festive gift basket, complete with red and gold ribbons and bows.

Ron snorted in laughter. "What on earth is _that_?"

"Several potions that should aid in Mr. Potter's recovery, as well as my special blend of energy replenishing tea. It also contains some of his favorite candies and…" he trailed off when Ron burst into laughter, "They're not from _me_, Mr. Weasley. That bloody werewolf insisted that it be a '_joint'_ gift. He also did the decorating, as you can plainly see. There are a few headache relieving potions, too. He will be prone to them for the next three to five days."

"Where _has_ Remus been? We haven't seen him outside of classes much," Ron asked.

"He's been- busy. Order business. And therefore has been, thus far, kept unaware of anything concerning- Harry," Severus replied, scoffing, "If it had been up to me, he would've gotten an update at least once a week… he has a right to know, after all… Regardless, the business is finished now and he has asked me to inform you that he'd like Harry to dine with him in his quarters tonight."

They smirked at each other, marveling at how well that fit into their plans. Draco took the basket and bid the man farewell before he could ask any questions and they left.

They rushed up to the infirmary to find Madame Pomfrey performing the final scan on Harry. They waited for her to finish before approaching his bedside. He smiled brightly at them, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing. He stretched his arms over his head and shook the stiffness out of his legs.

"You don't realize how nice standing and walking around is until you've been confined to a bed for a couple days," he joked.

"You _do_ realize that Draco's probably going to keep you locked up in that room for a while yet, right?" Ron said.

"As well he should," Poppy stated, "You're still not fully recovered, Mr. Potter. Draco has explicit orders to make you rest for just a couple more days."

Harry groaned. "More bed rest? Seriously?"

"Not necessarily bed rest. Just take it easy. You won't be getting back to classes until the day after tomorrow," the mediwitch said sternly, "You are technically a sick person, so act accordingly, please."

He chuckled. "Yes, Ma'am!"

She gave him a brief, but affectionate smile before shooing them out the door.

Once they were in Draco's room, Harry announced that he was taking a bath and left them. Draco went to set the gift basket on the bedside table when he noticed a small note addressed to him under one of the red bows. He picked it out and opened it.

'_Draco,  
I thought you'd like to know that a nice long soak in that handy hot-tub would be very good for Harry in his current condition. Although, he should not, under any circumstances, be left alone in it, so somebody will have to accompany him.  
Best Regards,  
Professor R.J. Lupin  
P.S. Severus informed me of your relationship and I'd like you to know that you have my blessings. I wish you both all the happiness in the world.'_

Draco smirked as he set the note down.

"What did it say?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Feel free to read it," Draco said as he headed to the bathroom.

The last thing he heard before he shut the door behind him was Hermione growling, "Why, that manipulative little-!"

Harry looked up at the sound and blushed brilliantly. "What are you doing in here?"

Draco grinned. "Professor Lupin has suggested a nice dip in the hot-tub. He said it would help to speed your recovery along. He also insisted that you not be left alone and recommended that I accompany you."

"For Merlin's sake! I'm not a bloody child!" Harry exclaimed indignantly.

"No… you're most definitely _not_ a child," Draco said, eyeing him appraisingly and making him blush, "Now into the hot tub with you!"

"Who says you get to order me around?" Harry stated defiantly.

"Madame Pomfrey and Professor Lupin, that's who," Draco replied, "Unless you'd rather go back to the infirmary, I suggest you get in the hot tub. Look, I'll even turn around…"

As soon as Draco's back was turned, Harry bolted into the steaming, bubbling water. He sighed contentedly, already feeling the bubbles and jets begin to soothe his wracked nerved endings. Draco turned back when he heard the sigh.

"I told you it would help," he said, smiling.

"Shut up," Harry said, though his tone lacked any real anger.

Draco quickly stripped, as well, and joined his dark haired boyfriend. He smiled again when Harry's eyes flew open and he blushed magnificently. However, he didn't move away when Draco came to sit beside him, showing the blonde that he was more comfortable with him than he'd probably care to admit.

"You got your wish," Draco murmured, leaning in close.

Harry blinked stupidly. "Wha-?"

"At the masquerade. You said you wanted me naked, remember?" Draco purred into his ear.

He jerked away as though he'd been burned, his blush darkening. "I- that was… I just- didn't want you molesting me in front of the entire student body!" he exclaimed.

Draco backed up a bit, laughing. "I know, I know. But I have to say… I really liked the way it sounded coming from your adorable mouth." As if to emphasize his point, he grabbed the back of Harry's neck and kissed him soundly, effectively cutting off any protests from the boy.

When they broke apart, Harry glared at him. "Could you please not do that while I'm naked?" he growled.

Draco smirked. "But that's the best time to do it."

"Not for me…" he grumbled.

"Oh… I think you'll have plenty of fun," Draco said, moving in to kiss him again.

However, Harry managed to duck away, splashing him in the face as he did. He laughed when he turned and saw Draco fussing with his hair. "That's what you get for trying to molest me!"

"You little prat! I wasn't going to get my hair wet!" Draco whined, making Harry laugh harder, "Now I'm going to have to wash and dry it all over again!"

"You- are such a… freaking ponce!" Harry exclaimed through his laughter.

Draco scowled at him, but it quickly turned into a grin. "Damn you…"

"You're just angry because you can't be angry with me," Harry said, winking at him, "I'm too cute!"

Draco leaned back against the wall of the tub, smiling at his boyfriend and thinking about just how adorable he really was. He was rather surprised when the boy moved to sit next to him, resting his head on his shoulder. He looked fondly down at the messy raven locks, draping an arm over the slim shoulders.

"We probably shouldn't stay in here for very much longer," Draco said, "It will make you sick."

Harry just nodded drowsily, feeling truly relaxed for the first time in nearly three days.

Draco chuckled. "I missed you, you know."

He opened his eyes and looked up at him. "Really?"

"Yeah… I barely got any sleep because _you_ were in the infirmary and not with me," Draco said, poking him in the side, "Meanwhile, you seemed to be having no trouble sleeping at all. Sometimes I feel like this is all one-sided on my part…"

"It's not one-sided! I only slept because Madame Pomfrey was giving me potions!" Harry said, desperately trying to fix whatever misunderstanding Draco had.

The blonde smiled at him. "Well, you're just going to have to help me make up for all the missed sleep, aren't you?"

"I think I can manage that," Harry said, relieved that Draco had only been teasing him.

"Are you feeling any better?" Draco asked.

Harry nodded. "You have no idea how much that helped. Thank you."

"You should thank Professor Lupin. He's the one who suggested it," Draco said.

"Oh yeah. Wait, when did you talk to Remus?" Harry said.

"I didn't. He sent a note in the care package from him and Sev," Draco replied, "But he wants you to have dinner with him in his quarters."

Harry practically beamed. "Really? It feels like I haven't had a chance to spend any time with him since the beginning of term… I'm glad he doesn't hate me or anything."

"As if he could ever hate you. I can't believe you'd even consider that," Draco said, shaking his head at the boy, "Come on. We should get out before we overheat."

"Er… you get out first," Harry said, blushing.

"Don't worry. That was already my plan," Draco stated, grinning as he exited the tub, fully aware of Harry's gaze following his every move.

Harry could only stare at the other boy's body. He'd seen it a few times before, but never like this. He'd never had a chance to look and truly _see_ the blonde with no distractions. As he watched him now, his only thought was that it should have been impossible for any man to be that beautiful. That perfect. Tall, with a decent breadth of shoulder, firm, toned torso tapering to a slim waist, long, muscular legs, _fantastic_ arse… Harry was most amazed by his back, chest, and stomach, though. Perfectly sculpted muscles that he could watch flex and stretch as Draco moved about the room. He loved the lines of definition on the blonde's chest and stomach, and found himself wanting to trace those lines with his fingers, map out his chest and back with his hands and mouth…

He blushed brilliantly when those thoughts crossed his mind, turning his gaze away quickly when Draco pivoted and gave him a full frontal view. However, he wasn't fast enough to miss the obvious and _impressive_ erection that had probably been caused by him. He heard Draco chuckle and knew he'd been caught.

"Come on, Harry. You need to get out of there. If you faint, you'll just go straight back to the infirmary," Draco said.

Harry was surprised that there was no sarcastic or suggestive remark about him peeking. However, you should never look a gift horse in the mouth, right? So he stood and, after instructing his boyfriend to turn around, pulled his clothes on as quickly as he could. He didn't say a word as he followed Draco out of the bathroom and into 'their' room, where Hermione and Ron were waiting for them.

"Did you boys have fun?" Hermione asked, grinning.

"If you did, could you wait until I'm out of here to give her any details?" Ron said.

Draco laughed. "We did _not_ have the kind of fun that you are referring to, you pervert."

She smirked. "What's wrong with having a healthy amount of sexual curiosity?"

Harry groaned. "I don't want to hear anything like that come out of your mouth ever again, 'Mione…"

"Oh grow up," she said, laughing.

"Guys, do you think we could go see Hagrid?" Harry asked, "Or would that be breaking the 'take it easy' rule?"

"I don't know. Normally when you go and see Hagrid you end up doing some kind of manual labor," Ron said, "Do you think you can resist putting yourself to work?"

"I'm pretty sure I can handle it," Harry replied, smiling.

"Then I suppose I can let it slide," Draco said, "Shall we go?"

Their visit with Hagrid was pleasant. He asked Harry if Draco was making true on his promise and Harry assured him that he was. The half-giant burst into tears when he found out what happened to Harry at the Masquerade, and it took them nearly fifteen minutes to calm their friend. They talked about classes and their plans for the holidays and Hagrid teased them all mercilessly about how cute they were in their respective groups and about how nice it was that they could all get along so well. By the end of the visit, Harry seemed to be revitalized somehow, and in much better spirits. Draco wondered what kind of strange power the large man had, at the same time vowing to take his boyfriend to the groundskeeper's house as often as possible.

By the time they reached the castle it was time for dinner. Harry told them that he'd see them later and headed up to have dinner with Remus. Halfway up the stairs he realized that he had no idea where the man's quarters were. Sighing, he headed back down the stairs, making his way to the Great Hall.

"Mr. Potter, _where_ are you going?"

Harry spun around to see Severus Snape behind him, looking confused.

"I was under the impression that you would be dining with Re- Lupin, this evening," the man stated.

Harry wondered at his slip of the tongue but didn't comment. "I had every intention to do just that until I realized that I have no idea where his personal quarters are."

Severus smirked. "Ah, yes… I suppose we did leave that detail out. Well, I suppose I could show you the way. It would certainly save me from witnessing whatever mischief Draco has planned…"

"What does Draco have planned?" Harry asked as they began walking back towards the second floor.

"I have absolutely no idea. Whatever it is, though, will certainly be unpleasant for whomever is on the receiving end," Severus stated with a little sadistic smirk.

"Then- maybe I should go to the Great Hall and try to stop him," Harry said, turning.

Severus placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "Nothing any of us say will stop him once he has his mind set. Besides, I doubt that it is anything truly malevolent."

Harry nodded. "You're right. And Remus would be pretty disappointed if I bailed on him, right?"

"Indeed he would. He's been away on Order business during his free time," Severus said, "We're still trying to gain support of the larger packs of werewolves- or at the very least persuade them to remain neutral- so Remus is acting as ambassador. He has been looking forward to seeing you since he completed his last mission early."

Harry grinned, looking sideways at his professor. "I'm glad to see you two are getting along so nicely."

"What makes you thing we are getting along at _all_?" Severus asked, narrowing his eyes at the boy.

"Well, I've never heard you call him by his given name before. It's always been Lupin or 'wolf'…" Harry replied, feeling just a bit smug. He heard Severus swear under his breath and smiled. "So are you and Remus friends, now? Or perhaps more…?"

Severus looked down at him, shock written clearly on his face, before he gave a sort of amused half-smile and shook his head. "We're here," he said, knocking on the stone wall. Although it _looked_ like stone, it sounded like it was made of wood, and when it suddenly opened and Remus was standing in front of them, Harry grinned. He vaguely wondered if all of the professors' quarters were in hidden rooms.

"Harry! I just realized that you probably had no idea how to get here! I was sure that Severus hadn't told you," the man said, smiling brightly, "Thank you for showing him, Severus. Would you like to join us? It's absolutely no trouble, and it's the least I can do to repay you for acting as Harry's escort."

Severus smirked. "I suppose it will be better than dining in the Great Hall," he said, following Harry into the room and shutting the door behind him.

The first thing that Harry noticed was the massive amount of clutter in the living area. There seemed to be books and papers and notes covering every available surface. He grinned. The second thing he noticed were the delicious smells coming from the dining area. And then he noticed that the table was already set for _three_ people.

"Honestly, you've been back for a single day and already your room is buried," Severus said, rolling his eyes, "I think it's gotten _worse_ since just last night!"

Harry looked sharply over at the two men. "Last night? You were here last night? Together? Whatever were you doing?"

Remus blushed brightly and suddenly became very interested in the floor.

Severus cleared his throat nervously.

"Is there something you need to tell me, Remus?" Harry asked, amused by the two men's antics.

"Severus and I have- are… together?" the man said pathetically.

Harry laughed. "Well- and people thought that Draco and I were an unlikely couple! I'm happy for you both, though. Can we eat now? I'm starving and Draco will have my head if he thinks I'm not eating well enough."

They looked relieved at his quick acceptance and nodded, joining him at the table.

"Were you expecting Severus to come along?" Harry asked, digging in to as much as he could fit on one plate.

Remus nodded. "We were actually hoping to get the chance to tell you about our relationship tonight… we didn't think you'd figure it out first."

Severus smirked. "Indeed. The boy is much more perceptive than I gave him credit for."

"I'd have to be, in order to have survived this long," Harry joked.

"So, Severus tells me that your case is progressing nicely," Remus stated, "He also says that your aunt and cousin are going to testify against Vernon?"

Harry nodded, swallowing his food before speaking. "Yeah, they are. It really surprised me. Especially Dudley… considering he's always hated me."

Remus smiled sadly. "I doubt even your cousin would wish something like that upon you."

Harry laughed. "You're probably right."

"Honestly, I think with the testimonies of you, your aunt, your cousin, and Poppy… we have a better than average chance of winning this case. And getting that bastard put away for life," Severus said a bit savagely.

Harry grinned. "I have complete faith in you. There's not a doubt in my head that we're going to win."

Severus was more than a little surprised at the boy's trust and conviction. Remus, however, was beaming. His cub's future was looking brighter and brighter with each passing day.

Of course none of them knew what was transpiring just below their feet in the Great Hall at that very moment…

~XIV~

Okay. Just a sweet little fluffy filler-type chapter before I unload a whole metric shit-ton of conflict and drama on you! Well, now that I've given you fair warning… Please review! **Anybody who guesses what Draco's theory is- or can even get close- will get a special treat!** Like… a sneak peak? Maybe a chapter written in their name? Maybe a chapter completely dictated by them… give the readers a chance to control the story? (Most likely that last one! For once, YOU can tell ME what to write!) So… get those minds to working! And don't forget to review!


	20. Confessions

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Potterverse. I make no money or profit of any kind from this story.

A/N: I'm really having a ball with this. I'm also glad to see that you- the readers- are enjoying it as well! Thank you for all of the positive feedback thus far! You all really inspire me to get my procrastinating arse into gear! Keep up the good work, you guys!

**A/N2: I would like to announce the winners of the Guessing Game!**  
1st Place: wyldcat on  
2nd Place: NobbyPotter on  
3rd Place: slashslut on  
Congratulations to the three of you! If you would like to contact me to collect your prizes, my email is gryffindor _ toy yahoo . com (without the spaces, obviously). The prizes are as listed!

1st Place: One chapter that is dictated by them. Whatever you want to see happen (within reason, and as long as it fits with the future plot), you got it! I will try to be as accommodating as possible! ^_^

2nd Place: Two scenes of your choice will be written. You want hot Jacuzzi sex? You got it! You want their first fight? It's yours! Heck, if you want some Sev/Remus lovin', and I will not disappoint!

3rd Place: One scene of your choice will be written!

To all others who gave their guesses, thank you very much for your support! I WILL dedicate the next chapter to all of you who put your minds to work searching for answers! I love you all!!!!! Now, on with the story!

~XX~

"Ron, do you have the potion?" Hermione whispered before they entered the Great Hall.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Yes, 'Mione. For the six-hundredth, I _have_ it!"

"I'm just making sure. You know that without this potion she could suffer from irreversible brain and nerve damage!" she stated, still whispering.

"I know, I know. We've gone over this a million times!" he said, raising his voice in frustration.

She glared at him, effectively shutting him up. The potion they would be slipping into Ginny's drink was colorless, odorless, and tasteless, and would cause her body and conscious mind to go into a temporary coma when activated by the appropriate spell. Without it, there was a good chance that the shock of the spell would paralyze her and kill the majority of her active brain, leaving her a vegetable. At best, without the potion, the spell would simply cause irreversible memory loss. Hence Hermione's constant pestering on the subject.

They walked into the room, finding Draco already seated with the Slytherins. With a wave at the blonde, they took their seats. Acting naturally was key for their plan to work without drawing suspicion. They sat directly across from their target, smiling warmly at the girl.

"Hey, Gin," Ron said, shoveling food onto his plate.

"Jeez, Ron. You'd think nobody ever fed you…" Ginny replied with a grimace at her brother's ghastly table manners.

He grinned around a mouthful of potatoes. "I'm a growing boy. I need sustenance."

"One would think you were a growing _elephant_," she muttered.

He laughed. "Oh! Are those pork chops?" he said, reaching across the table for the plate, knocking Ginny's juice over in the process.

She shrieked as the ice cold beverage landed mostly in her lap. "Ronald Weasley, you great oaf!"

Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes and banishing the liquid with a wave of her wand as Ron quickly righted the goblet, discreetly dropping the potion in as it refilled itself. "No harm, no foul."

"Sorry, Gin!" Ron said, grinning as he grabbed a pork chop, more carefully this time, "Hope your knickers aren't stained or anything…"

She glared fiercely at him, taking a drink of her fresh pumpkin juice. "I don't know how I'm related to such a pig…"

When she had finished off the entire goblet, they only had to wait a few moments before the potion hit her system. The color drained from her face and she swayed slightly in her seat.

"Ginny? Are you okay?" Ron asked with genuine concern. Faking wasn't an issue at this point. She _was_ still his baby sister.

"I'm fine. Just a bit lightheaded, that's all," she replied.

"Somehow, I don't believe you," Ron said, "Why don't I take you up to the infirmary?" He stood, which was Draco's signal, and began to walk around the table. Across the hall, Draco had pulled out his wand under the table and whispered _Praebeo Profecto_, pointing at Ginny's back.

Suddenly, she fainted and were it not for Hermione's quick thinking and speedy wandwork, the red-headed girl would have crashed to the floor.

"Gin!" Ron exclaimed, feeling real fear freeze his veins as he raced over to her.

Hermione followed, still levitating her unconscious form.

"What _happened_?" McGonagal asked, rushing toward them.

"We don't know, Professor!" Neville said, "Ginny just all of a sudden got really pale and said she was lightheaded. And then she fainted!"

"We can take her to the infirmary, Professor," Hermione said helpfully.

"Very well," McGonagal said, "Have Madame Pomfrey contact me as soon as she figures out what is wrong."

She nodded and walked out, Ginny floating behind her with Ron at her side.

In Draco's mind, he was doing a little victory dance. It had all worked out perfectly, and Neville jumping in had only added to the credibility. Now, he just had to time it right. If he waited until the end of dinner, it would be another thirty-nine minutes before the next stage could commence. He'd have to find something to occupy himself for a while.

"What on earth happened?!" Poppy exclaimed when she saw them.

"Nothing," Ron said, "She's fine."

"Fine? She's unconscious!" Poppy nearly screamed.

Hermione sighed. "Trust us, Madame Pomfrey. We have everything under control. May we please use a private exam room to set her down and wait for Draco?"

She clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "I should have known that blonde menace was behind this. I don't suppose you'll tell me what's going on?"

"We aren't saying anything until we have confirmation," Hermione stated.

"I thought not," the woman said, huffing a bit, "Very well. You may use exam room C."

"Thank you," Ron said as they headed for the door. Once they had Ginny settled into the bed, they sat down and began the waiting game.

"How long will it take?" Ron asked quietly.

"About thirty-five minutes longer," Hermione stated, "Draco should be here shortly."

However, at that moment Draco was on his way to Remus Lupin's quarters, where he knew both Severus and Harry would be. He knocked on the door and was surprised at how quickly it was answered.

"Draco?" Harry said, raising an eyebrow at his boyfriend, "What are you doing here?"

Remus appeared behind the boy, smiling warmly. "Would you like to come in, Draco?"

"Just for a minute," he said, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind himself.

"Are you in a hurry to get somewhere?" Harry asked.

"Blaise asked for my help on his potions essay," Draco lied expertly, "I was just going to let you know that I won't be done with that for about another hour or so."

Harry smirked. "Did you think I'd be lost without you around for an hour?"

"No…" Draco said, chuckling, "But I know you, and if you couldn't find me for an hour you'd automatically assume the worst."

Remus grinned at the two of them, turning to Severus and whispering, "Aren't they just adorable together?"

The stoic man rolled his eyes, but had to admit that they did, indeed, fit well.

"I suppose you're right. Thanks," Harry said, smiling affectionately, "If it's okay with Remus and Severus, I'll just stay here until you're done."

"Of course you can stay," Remus said.

Severus narrowed his eyes at his Godson. He had a strange feeling that whatever was going on had something to do with his secret theory and plot. What was even stranger, though, was the rush of anger toward the boy for exploiting Harry's trust in him. He only hoped that all of the lying and sneaking around was it and wouldn't come back to bite him.

"Well, don't let me keep you from that potion's essay," Harry said, noticing how antsy Draco seemed.

The blonde smiled at him. "I'll be back in an hour to get you."

"I'm a big boy, Draco. I can walk myself to the room," Harry stated.

Draco quirked an eyebrow at him. "Yes, but until Madame Pomfrey gives you a clean bill of health, I promised to take care of you. So just shut up and allow yourself to be spoiled and pampered, okay?"

To silence any further protests, he leaned in for a brief, but searing kiss. When he pulled away, Harry sighed contentedly. "I think I can handle it with _that_ as my reward."

Draco laughed, kissing him again, more gently this time. "See you in an hour."

Harry just nodded, watching him leave. When he turned, he saw the identical smirks on his professors' faces and blushed. "Sorry… I guess we kind of- forgot that we weren't alone."

"It's quite alright, Harry," Remus stated, "Would you like some tea?"

He nodded, grinning.

"You know," Severus said, moving into the sitting area, "We have an hour. Perhaps we should talk."

He cleared away the clutter on the sofa with a wave of his wand, taking a seat.

"What should we talk about?" Harry asked, seating himself on the sofa, as well, taking the tea that Remus offered before the man sat down on the other side of him.

"I can think of a few things…" Severus said with a meaningful look.

Meanwhile, Draco had just arrived at the infirmary and was immediately pointed toward exam room C by Poppy. He smiled gratefully at the mediwitch before entering quietly.

"How is she? Any change?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head. "We still have twenty minutes before she wakes up."

Ron sighed, sinking lower into his chair. "I hate this. The waiting is killing me!"

"Naturally. She _is_ still your little sister," Draco stated calmly, taking a seat himself.

"So how's Harry?" Hermione asked knowingly.

"He's fine. He's up in Lupin's rooms and Sev is there, too, so I didn't see a problem with leaving him in their care," Draco answered, "I told him I'd be back to get him in an hour."

Ron chuckled. "I knew you were going to try and mother him to death."

"And why shouldn't he? I'm sure this incident was more traumatizing for Draco than anybody else," Hermione snapped, "Watching somebody you care for relive something like that… I couldn't begin to imagine the kind of fear and helplessness…" She broke off, shuddering.

Draco nodded solemnly. "That was the single most terrifying moment of my life."

"And the guy doesn't even remember," Ron stated, grinning, "Irony, anybody?"

The blonde laughed. "Something like that, anyway."

Hermione smiled fondly at them. "I bet neither of you even realize how much it means to Harry that you managed to put aside your differences and become friends for his sake."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Obviously we _did _realize or we never would have managed it."

"Hey! Are you saying you aren't my friend because of my dazzling wit and charming personality?" Draco said in mock offense.

"Shut it, git," Ron said, grinning.

"Honestly, though, it seems our generation was just destined to break every precedent that was set by our ancestors," Draco said, "A Malfoy becoming friends with a Weasley and a muggle-born, Slytherins getting all cozy with Gryffindors, Slytherins _dating_ Gryffindors…"

"A Potter very nearly becoming a Slytherin," Hermione added, smirking.

"Exactly- wait, what?!" Draco exclaimed.

"The Sorting Hat originally wanted to place Harry in Slytherin. However, his first impression of you was so bad and he'd been told that the monster who murdered his parents had been in Slytherin…" she shrugged, "So he talked the hat out of it."

"Thus we have the first ever snake in lion's skin," Ron said, smirking, "More of a snake-lion hybrid, actually."

Draco looked rather shocked and amused by the new knowledge. "What an uproar that would have caused! The Boy-Who-Lived, a Slytherin! I can't even picture it!"

"Neither could we when we heard about it," Ron said, "But if you think about it, it kind of fits. I mean, he's definitely got the whole cunning thing. He'd have to, to have survived for this long. And- he's pretty good at subtle manipulation. Even if he doesn't know when he's doing it."

"How else could he worm his way out of all the trouble he _should _have been in over the years?" Hermione continued, grinning.

Draco chuckled. "I suppose you have a point. There's definitely more to Harry than meets the eye."

They nodded in agreement.

"So," Hermione said, looking like she'd just realized something, "What was Professor Snape doing in Remus' rooms?"

Draco raised an eyebrow at the abrupt question, but shrugged. "They've been seeing each other secretly for the last month and a half. I'm surprised nobody caught on before this."

"Does Harry know?" she asked, ignoring her boyfriend's slack-jawed expression.

"I'm sure he does _now_," Draco replied, "I think they were planning on telling him soon. The 'joint gift basket' was a pretty big hint anyway."

"Yes, I suppose you're- for heaven's sake, Ronald, close your mouth! You'll catch flies with it hanging open like that," Hermione snapped.

"I'm sorry, 'Mione, but- Remus and Snape? Together? _Seriously_?" he exclaimed, "How can you not be completely floored by this?"

"Of course I'm surprised, but they're two grown men who are more than capable of making their own decisions," she stated, "Besides, you could have cut the sexual tension between them with a knife."

"But- what about Tonks? I thought she was in love with Remus!" Ron said.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Doesn't make much of a difference when the man is _gay_, now does it?"

He huffed and sat back in his chair, muttering something about 'bloody parallel universes', making Draco laugh.

There was a sudden stirring from the bed and they stood quickly, wands drawn and pointed at the witch as she sat up.

"It's early…" Hermione said quietly.

"That's good. Or bad, depending on how you look at it. It means that the subconscious mind is just that much stronger," Draco replied.

When 'Ginny' sat up and glared at them with cold, blank eyes, they knew immediately that their worst fears had just been confirmed…

"What did we need to talk about?" Harry asked.

"Draco," Severus answered simply.

"What about him?" Remus said, becoming suspicious.

"I don't think he's being entirely truthful with you, Harry," the man stated, "He may be my godson, but I have grown a bit- fond- of you, so I can't sit idly by while he's being dishonest."

"What is he lying about?" Harry said quietly.

"He has a theory about who poisoned you and who has been causing all of the trouble lately. I don't know who this person is, but I think it has something to do with Lucius," Severus replied, "And I'm fairly certain that whatever he is doing right now has nothing to with either Blaise or any kind of homework."

"So… he's been _lying _to me? Are you positive?" he asked.

Severus nodded. "I'm afraid so."

Harry sank back into the sofa, eyes downcast, feeling hurt by the manipulation.

Remus put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure he just doesn't want you to worry. He's merely trying to protect you."

"I believe that is precisely what he is thinking," Severus said.

"That doesn't make it hurt any less," Harry said, "I trusted him. Even after everything that happened, I _trusted_ him! And he abused that trust!"

To his complete humiliation, he felt tears sting at his eyes. He couldn't believe that Draco would lie to him like that! Did he not think he could handle the truth? If that was the case, then it had to be somebody close to him. It had to be one of his friends at Hogwarts. The tears escaped to roll down his cheeks. He couldn't take another betrayal! Too many people had taken advantage of him, had taken advantage of his _trust_!

He could understand, now, why Draco had wanted to hide this from him. However… he didn't know if he'd ever trust the blonde again. A little voice in his head kept asking 'if he could lie about something this important, what else could he have lied about?'

Remus put his arms around the distraught boy while Severus looked on sadly. "Harry, calm down. It's not nearly as bad as it seems to you at this moment, I promise. Sometimes people lie in order to protect the ones they care about. It's human nature."

"Try looking at it from his perspective. What would you have done in his place?" Severus asked.

Harry sniffled a bit, wiping at his eyes. "The same… but- that's not the only reason I'm upset. The fact that he felt he had to hide it from me means that it's probably somebody close to me. Somebody here at school. It means I've been betrayed _again_."

"Oh Harry…" Remus sighed, carding his fingers gently through the boy's hair, "Everything will be okay. It'll all turn out just fine, I'm sure."

Harry shook his head. "No. Nothing in my life ever that simple." He suddenly pulled away from the man and stood. "I'm going to go for a walk."

"Harry, you're not well enough. What if something happens?" Remus said.

"I have my wand. I'll be fine. I won't go too far, I promise," Harry said. Seeing the stern looks on his professors' faces, he sighed. "Can I at least go back to Draco's room? I need to be alone… to think."

"I will escort you," Severus said, standing as well.

"Will you be back?" Remus asked, smiling.

In a rarely observed moment of warmth, Severus returned the smile and leaned down to place a tender kiss on his lover's lips. "As soon as possible."

"Then I will see you tomorrow, Harry," Remus said with a grin and a wave as they walked out the door.

"Will you be alright?" Severus asked when they reached the Head Boy's room.

Harry nodded, forcing a weak smile. "Don't worry. I won't do anything drastic."

"I'm not worried about that," the man stated, "I am afraid of what is going on in that overactive mind of yours." Severus looked at him, concern etched in his face. "Draco does not like to lie to those he cares for. He never has. On the rare occasions when he does, there is always a good explanation."

Harry raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you trying to say?"

"He is only human, Harry. We all make mistakes," Severus said, "Please don't let this ruin what the two of you have. I know that right now you feel betrayed and you are probably wondering how you will ever trust him again, but… at least give him a chance to earn that trust again. I rather enjoy seeing you two so happy."

The boy smiled, touched that the man would worry over him. "I'm not making any promises, but I honestly don't think I _could _break up with him. So… you don't have to trouble yourself so much."

Severus nodded. "If you need somebody to talk to, just firecall Remus' rooms. We'll be there all night."

Harry smirked, walking into the room. "Oh, I bet you will…"

"Brat," Severus muttered fondly before the door was shut.

Back in the infirmary, they asked the bespelled witch simple questions and were having no luck.

"What is your name?" Ron asked.

The girl shook her head, smirking.

"Is it Ginny?" Hermione said.

"Not Ginny…"

"Are you Lucius? Are you a part of my father?"

She threw her head back and laughed. "Guess, children!"

Ron growled, kicking a chair over in anger. "This isn't getting us anywhere!"

"Calm down, Ron. Maybe we're just not asking the right questions…" Hermione said, "Your name is not Ginny?" She shook her head again. "You want to play a guessing game?"

She nodded emphatically, cackling.

"What do we get if we win?" Draco asked.

"You get to know," was the reply.

"Can I ask a couple questions first? And will you please answer?" Hermione said.

A sigh and a nod.

"Did you put the potion in Harry's drink?"

"Yes…"

"Did you lead the Death Eaters to Grimmauld Place?"

She chuckled. "Yes!"

"And you told Voldemort what happened to Harry this summer?"

"Yes, yes, yes! It was all me! My doing!"

"Are you trying to kill Harry?"

"No!" the girl exclaimed.

"Hurt him?"

"Yes…" she hissed.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Because," she said with a malevolent grin, "The more we hurt him, the weaker he gets. The weaker he gets, the easier it becomes to break him."

"Why do you want to break him?" Hermione said.

"Master wants a new toy," she stated, inspecting her nails, "Master would rather not kill the boy if he may be of some use. But the little brat is making it difficult. He has interfering friends. Master says to take _care_ of interfering friends if we have to."

"Who is your master?" Hermione asked.

She shook her head. "No more questions. It's time to play…"

"Are you a part of Lucius?" Draco asked immediately.

Her face fell. "Aw… you take all of the fun out of the game!"

"Why did Lucius transfer you into Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"He didn't. He was turning on me… ignoring me. I was about to disappear. Then my master gave me this wonderful new home where _I_ could be in control for once. The girl's mind was already weak… it is so easy to bend her to my will."

"Is your master Voldemort?" Hermions asked.

She laughed scathingly. "That madman? He would never think of something so clever as this!"

"Then who _is_ your master?!" Draco exclaimed.

"My master is somebody who was twice gone and twice returned. Seen the light and the darkness, embraced neither and both, and follows no man or woman."

That said, she fell back into unconsciousness, leaving them with more questions and few answers. Draco sighed and turned to leave the room.

"Where are you going?" Ron asked.

"To get Harry. We're done here, aren't we? When she wakes up, tell her she fainted and she should take better care of herself," Draco replied, "Neither minds will remember what just transpired, so don't worry."

"Have fun, then!" Hermione said, smiling suggestively.

"Hey! Not too much fun, you horny bast-!"

Draco shut the door on the rest of Ron's statement, chuckling. He explained as little as possible to Madame Pomfrey before heading up to Remus' quarters.

Safely in the room he shared with Draco, Harry opened all the windows, letting cool night air wash over him. He took a seat in his favorite window, overlooking the lake, and pulled out the pack of Salems that Trina had sent him that week. With the first drag, he felt himself relax and his mind cleared a bit.

He leaned his head back against the window frame and willed the gathering tears to go away. He hadn't felt this betrayed since… He cursed himself and took another drag, disgusted that he'd even _thought_ to make that comparison. Draco was nothing like Vernon. Draco genuinely cared about him. He was sweet and gentle and patient. He was fun and lively, shared his odd sense of humor, and had a passion and enthusiasm for life that Harry found infectious.

He sighed, feeling even more confused that he had before. He flicked the cigarette out the window, watching the ember fall down to the ground. His mind was filled with conflicting thoughts. Draco was a good guy, right? But then why had he lied? What else could he have lied about? He _seemed_ like he was sincere in his feelings… but he'd obviously managed to deceive him about this… Should he confront him? Would that be wise? Or maybe he should just leave it alone… He sighed, standing and lighting another cigarette. He needed to think a bit more…

"Harry's not here," Remus said when he answered his door.

"Where did he go?" Draco exclaimed.

"I walked him back to your room," Severus answered, stepping up behind his lover, "A warning, Draco? Be honest with him. He trusts you, and if you betray that trust you may lose him."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Sev… do _you_ have something to tell me?"

"Godson or not, Draco, I will not tolerate dishonesty," Severus stated, "Nor will I allow you to hurt Harry and ruin the best thing you have going in your life!"

Draco blanched, more at the truth in those words than anything else. "I suppose I'll just go then…"

"Good night, Draco," Remus said as the boy turned to leave.

Back in the room, Harry had gone into panic mode once more. He'd gone through nearly half of his pack of Salems, most of which were under his pacing feet. His mind kept going back to what other lies Draco might have told him. Maybe he didn't even really like him. All the girls said that guys are only after sex. Maybe once had sex with him, Draco would leave. What if it was all just an act so he could tell everyone he fucked the Boy-Who-Lived?! Maybe Vernon was right… maybe he _was_ ugly and a freak. Maybe he was unloveable…

He reached up to take a drag only to realize that he had smoked it all the way down and it had gone out on its own. Again. He threw it to the floor and reached for the pack on the vanity. In doing so he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He stood up, staring blankly at his reflection. His tear-streaked face and wild, unruly hair, his too-skinny frame adorned with gorgeous, expensive clothing that Draco had bought him as a gift. "Just because," he'd said.

Suddenly he felt as though those fancy clothes were too nice, too good for a freak like him. He tore them off and threw them into the corner, glaring at them in a way that suggested _they_ were the sole cause of his anger. When he turned his attention back to the mirror, he scowled. Vernon _was_ right. He would always be ugly. How could anybody ever find him attractive, scarred and this as he was. Each scar served as a reminder of what a useless, stupid, freak he was.

Come to think of it, he couldn't really blame Draco. He should just be grateful that somebody like him would even deign to speak to such an unsightly, insignificant person, shouldn't he? He should just count his blessings and try not to cause any trouble, right?

'Ugly, useless, stupid… _freak_…' These words echoed in his mind until he could no longer take it. He picked up the nearest object- which happened to be his potions text book- and hurled it at the offending reflection, shattering the mirror before collapsing onto the floor and burying his face in his hands.

Draco wrenched the door open when he heard a loud crash and raced up the stairs, fearing the worst. When he saw Harry huddled on the floor and the broken mirror, he cringed. Dropping to his knees, he reached out to embrace his obviously distraught boyfriend.

"Harry? What's wrong, love?"

Harry's head shot up, his eyes wide, and he scrambled away from him. "Don't touch me!"

"I'm not Vernon, Harry. I'm not going to hurt you," Draco said softly.

"I _know_ who you are!" he replied, hiding his face in his knees.

"Then what's wrong?" the blonde asked.

"Why have you been lying to me?" Harry said, his voice muffled.

Draco sat back, narrowing his eyes. "What?"

"I know you weren't with Blaise tonight. And I know you've been lying to me… _why_?" Harry asked desperately, "Have you been lying to me all this time? Have you just been toying with me?"

"Harry… no, I-"

"Just admit it! Stop this game or whatever you're doing and put me out of my misery…" Harry said and Draco's heart ached at how broken he sounded, "Tell me, Draco. Tell I'm worthless and ugly. Admit that you were playing me, using me. Stop pretending that I'm anything but a freak and just leave me alone!"

"Harry James Potter!" Draco exclaimed, standing and walking over to him.

He braced himself against a blow that never came. Instead, he felt himself being drawn up and into a strong, warm embrace. He stiffened, still unsure about whether he was being deceived.

"Harry… I promise you that this is no game. It is very, very real," Draco said, leading him to the bed where he moved them into a laying position, "I- I have been lying to you, though." He felt the boy begin to move away and simply drew him back, rubbing soothing circles on his back. "No, just listen. I did have a theory about who slipped you that potion. But I didn't want to tell you anything until I was sure. I didn't want to cause you unnecessary pain. So I got Ron and Hermione to help do some research and develop a kind of plan."

"Is that where you were tonight? Conspiring with my _alleged_ best friends?" Harry said, hurt by their secrecy, "Did you think I couldn't handle it? That I wasn't strong enough?" He sat up, anger burning in his eyes.

"No, that's not it at all. I didn't want to throw around accusation with no proof! I didn't want to cause you pain if there was no need!" Draco said, trying to make him understand.

"Just be honest with me! Tell me the truth!" he yelled.

"It's Ginny…" Draco whispered.

Harry froze, his face had gone blank and he stared at Draco as though he hadn't heard anything he said.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but it's not her fault. Listen, please?" Draco pleaded.

He nodded numbly.

"From what we gathered, Luc- my dad was about to defect to the light. Somebody noticed the change in him and took the dark part of his personality out of him and placed it in Ginny, where it's been gaining power and control for a while now. Ginny's been leaking information to Voldemort and sabotaging you, against her will and without her knowledge, on her 'master's' orders."

"Who is her master?" Harry asked.

"We don't know. Someone who was twice gone and twice returned, embraced both light and dark, and doesn't follow anyone apparently. Hermione probably remembers better than me, but… we know it's not Voldemort or any of his followers…" Draco replied, "Will you lay back down with me, now?"

Harry obeyed silently, allowing himself to be wrapped in the other boy's arms. "So… that's all you've lied about? Do you swear? You don't think I'm ugly and-"

Draco silenced him with a tender kiss. "I swear. You have my word as a wizard. I could never think you were ugly. You're beautiful and perfect and _you_."

"Perfect?" Harry said scathingly.

"Perfect for me," Draco replied, kissing his forehead, "I'm never going to leave you, Harry, and I would never intentionally hurt you. I'm only human, so I can't promise that I'll never make another mistake, but… you can be certain of one thing, at least."

"What's that?" Harry asked, looking up at him.

Draco kissed his forehead again, directly over the scar, then his nose, then his lips, before pulling back just slightly and locking gazes with him. "I love you…"

Harry's breath caught in his throat and his eyes filled with tears in the same instant. He buried his face in Draco's chest, hiding the silent tears now flowing freely. In all the years that he remembered, nobody- aside from his parents on the night of Voldemort's return- had ever spoken those words aloud to him. And Draco spoke them with such passion and conviction that he felt them resonate all the way to his bones. He felt happier in that one moment than he could remember ever feeling in the past. A few moments came close: finding out he was a wizard and was to go away from the Dursleys for school, making his first friend, Ron, the brief time when he thought he'd live with Sirius, his first time on a broom… but none held the same gravity of emotion as this.

"I hope those are happy tears…" Draco said nervously.

Harry nodded into his chest. "That's- the first time anybody but my parents has said that to me…"

Draco tightened his hold on the boy, both sad that he'd led such a life and glad that he could bring him so much happiness.

"Draco?" he said tentatively, moving away to look at him.

"Hm?"

He pressed their lips together in a ghost of a kiss and whispered, almost inaudibly. "I love you, too."

Draco beamed and kissed him again, so fiercely that it stole their breath. "Let's sleep now. And in the morning, we will discuss the cigarettes and general destruction of my room."

"_Our_ room… but okay," Harry said, already falling asleep. He was exhausted emotionally from the day's events and was ready to succumb to the healing darkness of slumber.

Draco fell asleep that night with a serene smile on his face, truly, completely happy for the first time in years.

~XX~

**SPECIAL NOTICE!!! I created a Yahoo!Group! If you want to be notified every time this story is updated and gain access to sneak peeks and never-before-read stories, join us! You can have ANY email address, not just yahoo. MSN, AOL, Gmail… whatever! Come on in! You can find the link on my profile page!**

A/N: Sorry if that was kind of heavy. Harry went a bit crazy in this chapter, didn't he? But… he had to. There was no way he could have gotten over all of the emotional and physical abuse he suffered through so quickly. It's a process. I'm sure anybody who's suffered abuse will agree with me. Plus… I just can't have it moving too fast, now can I? I can't possibly give you guys everything in one go. Gotta make you want it. Really _want_ it. *insert evil cackle*. Lol. Please review! You know how much I love it!


	21. Lessons

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Potterverse. It is the sole property of JKR and Warner Bros. And maybe a few other people. Regardless, _I_ don't make any money from this, so obviously _I_ don't own it.

Author's Note: I'm soooo sorry this took so long! o_O… But here it is! The long awaited twenty-first chapter!

~XXI~

Thankfully, it was Saturday, so Harry woke to the sounds of birds, rather than Draco's alarm. He sat up in bed and began looking around for his missing boyfriend. He found him wandering around the room, picking up cigarette butts _by hand_. He grinned at the ridiculous picture he made.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Counting. Hush," Draco replied.

Harry was silent until he had picked up the last one. "What were you-?"

"Eight! You smoked eight of these _cancer _sticks just last night!" Draco exclaimed.

"Nine, actually… one went out the window…" he corrected.

"_Nine_, then! Are you trying to kill yourself?!" Draco said incredulously.

"In case you've forgotten, the first time I saw you this summer, _you_ were smoking," Harry retorted.

"Yes, it was just a whim though. Just something I was doing because my father hated it," Draco replied, "This is dangerous. There is no cure for cancer, muggle or magical."

"I know that! I only do it when I'm really stressed or upset, and I was in a _very_ bad place last night," Harry snapped, "If you couldn't tell."

Draco sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to nag. I just worry about you."

"Okay, _Hermione_…" he teased.

Draco grinned banishing the mess and sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I do wish you'd find a less destructive way of coping, you know."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll tell Trina to stop sending them to me. Happy?"

"Very," Draco said smugly.

"I bet. So… what's on the agenda for today?" Harry asked.

"After last night? Nothing but cuddling in bed," Draco stated, crawling over his boyfriend to take his side of the bed, "No visitors, no homework, no stress, nothing."

Harry smiled and snuggled closer to him. "I think I like the sound of that. But good luck keeping our nosy friends out of our hair."

"We just won't answer the door, so they'll think nobody's here," Draco said.

"Hmm… you're awful," Harry murmured.

Draco smirked, kissing the top of his head. "But you still love me."

Harry blushed and hid his face in the blonde's chest. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I think you do," Draco said, laughing softly.

He shook his head. "Nope. No idea." He sat up, smirking. "I'm gay, remember? How could I fall in love with somebody so _girly_?"

"Do you really want to start on that again?" Draco asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"I won last time, didn't I? What are you going to do about it?" Harry teased.

"Perhaps I need to remind you just how much of a man I am…" Draco said, flipping them so that he was straddling his boyfriend's hips.

Harry's eyes widened as he began to panic. "Draco? What…?"

"Calm down," the blonde said, kissing the tip of his nose, "Just look at me, Harry. Only at me…"

Luckily, Draco didn't have to worry about clothing, as Harry had stripped himself down to his boxers the previous night. He bent his head to kiss a trail down the boy's neck to his chest, delighted by every slight gasp and hitch in his breathing. He paused for a moment, making sure Harry's eyes were glued to him, before taking one rosy nipple into his mouth, nipping it lightly. Harry cried out sharply, arching into the touch, silently begging for more as his eyes slipped shut.

Draco pulled back immediately. "No, love. Open your eyes."

He obeyed, blushing, and looked up at him pleadingly.

Draco smiled. "Good… just keep your eyes on me."

He dipped his head again and took possession of the other nipple, running his fingers up and down Harry's sides in a feather-light caress that made him shiver and moan helplessly. He moved his mouth up to attack his neck and sensitive earlobe with his teeth and tongue, his hands exploring every other part of bare flesh that they could reach until Harry was lost, staring up at the ceiling as he was reduced to moans and gasps and pleas for more.

When Draco sat up, removing himself completely from the boy, he whimpered pitifully. "Draco…"

"Patience is a virtue, darling," he replied, leaning over for a quick kiss, "Do you still think I'm girly?"

"No…" Harry breathed.

"Do you have something to say to me?" Draco asked.

"Wha…? Draco!" he whined.

The blonde chuckled. "I think you have something you need to tell me, Harry."

"What are you talking about?" he exclaimed, more than a little frustrated.

"You don't remember? You just said it last night…" Draco hinted, placing soft kisses on his neck.

"Oh, for Merlin's-! Of _course_ I love you, you silly git!" he growled playfully, kissing him, "Now… can you help me out here?"

"With pleasure…" Draco purred.

With that out of the way, his hands and mouth returned to their previous task of turning Harry into a useless puddle of trembling jelly. He kept his actions above the boy's waist, not wanting to frighten him, and stuck to teasing little touches that drove him practically to madness. When Harry growled and thrust his hips upward, grinding their erections together, he sat back with a moan, taking deep breaths to calm himself.

"Careful, love…" he said through gritted teeth, "I'm hanging on by a thread as it is."

"Then, damn it, do _something_, please!" Harry begged, beyond embarrassment at this point.

Draco smirked, swooping in for a deep, searing kiss as his hand moved to Harry's boxers, freeing his straining cock. He stroked it lightly at first, marveling in the immediate reaction and the beauty of Harry's wide, green eyes, darkened by lust. He tightened his grip, moving his hand ever faster until the boy's back arched and cried out loudly as he came. He wasn't surprised that it hadn't lasted long… he hadn't been the only one barely holding on and Harry obviously had never been touched like that by another person.

He cast a quick cleaning charm on them both before lying down beside his gorgeous, sated companion and tucking him into his shorts. "All right, there?"

"Better than all right," Harry replied breathlessly, turning on his side to face Draco, smiling, "But it doesn't seem fair that I get to have all of the fun." He touched the blonde timidly through the fabric of his pants.

Draco grabbed his wrist, a look on his face that bordered on painful. "Don't."

"But…"

"Just don't," Draco hissed.

"Draco, it's okay. I'm not forcing myself," he said, confused by the severe response, "I want to."

Draco shook his head, closing his eyes. "Please… just stop, Harry."

"Why? I want to do this for you, even if I can't do more…" he said, trying to free himself from the tight grip.

"That's exactly why. You're not ready to do more, and I'm not confident that I could control myself right now," Draco stated.

Harry smiled fondly at him before kissing his neck gently. "I trust you…"

Draco gave a feral growl, flipping him onto his back and pinning his hands above his head. "You shouldn't. You may think I'm some kind of saint, but I'm not. My control is not infinite! I'm still a man, just like- just like your uncle…"

Harry's eyes widened and he couldn't the small sound of fear that escaped his throat. When Draco abruptly left him, moving to sit on the edge of the bed, his hands went instantly to cover his face. He didn't want Draco to see the tears falling down his cheeks. For the first time since the beginning of their relationship, he had been afraid of him… Afraid of _Draco_. Maybe he shouldn't have pushed him so hard. He should have thought of how Draco felt, rather than selfishly taking everything he gave him for granted. The other boy must have been so tightly wound already… it was _his_ fault that he snapped.

"I'm- sorry…" he sobbed, turning away from him and burying his face in the pillow.

"Me, too," Draco said, standing and walking into the bathroom without another word.

Harry waited until he heard the shower running before he dressed and left the room, making his way toward Remus' quarters. Thankfully, he managed to avoid running into anybody. He didn't even want to think about the humiliation he would face if he was seen crying the hallways. When he knocked on the werewolf's door, it was answered quickly, but it was Severus who stood before him.

"Harry?"

"Can I… come in?" he said, keeping his eyes trained on the floor.

Severus ushered him inside and to a spot on the newly cleared sofa. "Remus should be done showering shortly. Did something happen?" he asked, taking a seat next to him.

Harry nodded, fresh tears falling now. "We were… lying down together. Doing- _stuff_, y'know? Well, mostly he was doing- stuff." He could feel his face heat even as his eyes stung. "And I tried to… but he wouldn't let me, so- I- I tried harder and- he… his control… broke and- I- he…"

Severus narrowed his eyes, feeling anger rise in his chest. "Where is he?" he said in a deadly calm voice.

Harry shook his head, but a broken sob was all that came out when he tried to speak.

The man stood. "Is he still in his room?"

"Don't go," he said, trying desperately to calm himself, "It was my fault anyway. I shouldn't have pushed him so hard."

"Is that what he told you?!" Severus exclaimed, his fists clenching at his sides, "I'm going to kill that spoiled, arrogant, little-!"

"Who, exactly, are you going to kill?" Remus asked, striding quickly into the room.

"Draco!" Severus snarled, "He- Harry…"

Remus' normally cheerful expression was replaced by one which contained murderous intent. "What did he do, Harry?"

"No… you're not- you don't understand," he said, placing his face in his hands, "Nothing actually happened, so calm down! He didn't really _do_ anything! And it _was_ my fault! I should have stopped when he told me to! I never listen, though!"

Remus sat down, shoving his anger aside for a moment. "If he didn't do anything then what is your fault?"

He wiped his face, furiously, wishing that he could stop bloody crying for ten bloody minutes! "We were… fooling around a bit and I felt… selfish, because- well, you can guess, I'm sure. And- I tried to… you know… return the favor… but he said no. And I didn't listen, because I never- never listen. I pushed it and pushed it and he _told_ me that his restraint was wearing thin, but I just- I pushed it even more. I told him I trusted him…" He leaned back, sighing, and shook his head at his own stupidity. "He- he snapped then… and he- pinned me to the bed…"

They felt the anger boiling to the surface once more.

"Please- just…" he took a steadying breath, "He said I- I shouldn't trust him so much. Because he's not a saint. He said… he- he said that he's still a man, just like- like- just like Vernon…"

Severus sat on the other side of the boy, his anger losing its killing edge but not leaving. "Do _you_ think that he's just like Vernon?"

"No!" Harry exclaimed, outraged at even the thought, "He's nothing like- but… I was afraid of him. I was afraid, because I know that he- he _could_, if he really wanted to. He could have done it right then and there and I- I wouldn't be able to do anything to stop him… because I love him…"

They shared a shocked look over his head. Had their relationship really progressed so far?

Remus smiled sadly at his surrogate son. "Have you told him how you feel?"

He nodded. "He told me he loved me, first. Just last night. So… how could he- do something like that after saying he loves me? I don't want to be afraid of him, but he's right. He _is_ just a man. And I've been taking him for granted. His patience must have a limit, after all. It's obvious that he's reaching his limit… but I can't just- I'm not ready!"

"That is something that he is going to have to understand," Severus said firmly, "And he will."

"But you didn't see him," Harry stated, "He looked so angry and then… he just looked- disappointed. And then he walked out of the room." He rubbed his already bruising wrists, looking down at the light purple marks, shaped perfectly like Draco's fingers. He hadn't thought that he was capable of that kind of violence. He had thought that as long as he was with him, he wouldn't have to worry about these kinds of marks anymore. "He was so angry… it was like I didn't even know him…"

Severus stood and left the rooms silently, nodding at Remus as he did.

"Harry," Remus said softly, "Maybe you should lie down. If you clear your head, you may see things differently."

"No…" he said, "It's obvious, now. I'm not fit to be his boyfriend. I can't give him the things that he needs. The type of attention that he deserves."

Remus pulled him into his arms, letting him cry into his shoulder and praying that Severus didn't actually kill Draco. They needed to work this out.

He didn't even knock. He stormed up the stairs and grabbed his godson by the front of his perfectly tailored shirt and threw him against the wall.

"What the hell, Sev?! What are you doing?" Draco yelled, confused by the rough treatment.

"Are you not even aware of what you have done?" Severus hissed, "Or are you so selfish that you just don't care?"

"I honestly have no idea to what you are referring, but please let go of me," Draco snapped.

Severus released him none too gently. "I thought that you were better than that, Draco. I am sorely disappointed in both your lack of discipline and your utter disregard for the feelings of the one whom you _claim_ to love."

His head snapped up at that, his expression worried. "This is about Harry? Where is he?"

"He is currently in Remus' quarters, having _yet another_ breakdown because of you," the man stated, his obsidian eyes spitting fire, "You really scared him, you idiot boy. Did you think it was a _good_ idea to hold him down on the bed and then proceed to tell him that you are just like the man who raped him?!"

Draco blanched at the fury in his voice. "I wasn't thinking…"

"Exactly. You never think," Severus said, sighing, "I'm getting awfully tired of having to lecture you, Draco."

"Look, I know that what I did was stupid and I know that it was wrong," Draco stated, running a hand through his hair, "And I know that I shouldn't have just left him alone, but… I was so mad at myself. You think that _you're_ disappointed? I didn't think that I was capable of- but I almost did. And that wasn't even the first time."

"You've done something like this before?" Severus said, aghast.

"Once. We had a little… drinking party and when everybody left… he was drunk and he came on to me," Draco said, "I came even closer then. I'm not as strong as he thinks I am. I don't want to hurt him, but he- he doesn't understand what he does to me, Sev! He drives me absolutely crazy!"

Severus smiled, raising an eyebrow at him. "You both seem to be missing the biggest difference between you and Vernon."

Draco simply gave a questioning look.

"What Vernon did, he did out of anger, with the intent to hurt and even kill Harry," Severus explained, "And Harry couldn't fight back because of fear. It is different with you. You can't control yourself because you love him."

"And because he's bloody irresistible…" Draco muttered ruefully.

"And he can't fight you because he's in love with you," Severus finished, trying very hard to ignore the boy's horribly awkward and inappropriate statement, "You need better communication skills, Draco. If you give and give and ask for nothing in return, of course he is going to think that you are entirely safe. If you never take the time to explain how you're feeling, he isn't going to know what _you_ want, what your expectations are."

Draco nodded. "I need to talk to him…"

"Harry…" Remus said, once he seemed to have finished crying, "Why couldn't you fight Vernon off?"

"I was too scared," he replied quietly.

"And you wouldn't be able to fight Draco off because…?"

"I love him. I wouldn't want to hurt him," he said, confused by the sudden questions.

"And do you think that Draco wants to use sex to hurt you?" Remus prompted.

"No… no, he wouldn't do that," he said, giving the man a small smile as he realized what the man was hinting at, "Draco wants to have sex with me because he finds me attractive. Because he loves me."

"Do you still think that Draco is capable of what Vernon did to you?" Remus said.

He shook his head. "No… Thank you, Remus."

"Harry?"

He turned at the sound of Draco's voice from the doorway. His gaze fell to the floor, still believing that he was angry with him.

Draco walked over to the sofa, kneeling in front of Harry. "I'm so sorry. Can we talk? Privately?"

"Severus, would you join me in my office? I would like your opinion on something," Remus said, leading his lover out of the room.

"It was my fault," Harry said, still avoiding his gaze, "I should have listened to you."

Draco sat next to him, pulling him into his arms. "You're wrong. It was _my_ fault. I've been so stupid… I promise that I wasn't angry with you. I was mad at myself, because I started to see some similarity between me and-"

"Don't even say it!" Harry snapped vehemently, grabbing his face in his hands and staring into his eyes, "You are nothing like _him_! Vernon never loved me. He only wanted to cause me pain. You've never once tried to hurt me, you've been nothing but kind and gentle and sweet and all I've done is take advantage of that. I've been a selfish, spoiled jerk and I don't deserve somebody as wonderful as you."

Draco smiled softly, taking his hands in his own. "You deserve the chance to be a little selfish, Harry."

"No. That's not how a relationship works. You can't be the only one giving…" he said, "You were right. You're still a man and I haven't been thinking about your feelings at all."

"But I…" Draco sighed, his smile fading, "I almost… How can you even look at me after I almost…"

"Draco, calm down," Harry said, sensing that the blonde was in a near panic, "You didn't 'almost' anything. You would never do that. And even if-" he smiled sweetly, "Even if you did, it wouldn't be rape because I wouldn't ask you to stop."

Draco's eyes widened comically and he sat back, gaping open-mouthed at the boy. "What… did you just say?"

Harry chuckled, elbowing him in the gut playfully. "You heard me. It's the truth, though. Now, I'm not saying that I suddenly want to jump into bed with you for a nice shag, but… I trust you. And I believe that you would never hurt me. And I love you, so it would be different."

Draco embraced him tightly. "Damn it, Harry… I honestly thought that you'd never want to speak to me again," he said, his voice thick with emotion, "I'm so glad I was wrong. However, I'd still like to take things slow. I understand that you're not ready. But… it means a lot that you would say something like that."

"Promise me one thing," he said quietly, pulling back slightly, "From now on, if you want something, just tell me. Please stop worrying so much about how I'm going to react. I'm a lot stronger than you give me credit for and it's rather irritating to be treated like a fragile little girl. Come to think of it, I believe I've told you this before."

Draco chuckled sheepishly. "You may have said something along those lines. I promise to be more open, and I will try to stop treating like you're made of glass. As long as you promise to forgive my pathetic fears and insecurities."

"They're not pathetic, but it's a deal," he replied, grinning.

Draco smiled, bringing one of the boy's hands to his lips. It was then that he saw the bruises… "Did- did I do this?" he breathed.

Harry snatched his hands back, trying to hide them. "It's nothing, Draco. Really."

He wasn't buying it. He grasped them again and brought them close to his face for inspection. "For Merlin's sake… I didn't mean- I wasn't- I'm so sorry…"

Harry saw the despair in his expression, the wetness in his eyes, and smiled gently. "It's fine. You obviously weren't thinking straight. I know you didn't mean to hurt me."

Draco pressed a tender kiss to each wrist, a few stray tears making tracks down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry, love."

He wiped the moisture from his face with his thumbs. "Stop apologizing so much. And please don't cry." He kissed him lightly. "That's _my_ thing, don't you know?"

Draco gave a weak laugh. "You can't be strong all of the time. I'm surprised you're not a blubbering mess by now."

Harry laughed. "No time for blubbering. Apparently I have to take care of a big, blonde baby."

Draco smiled at that, tackling him to the floor and holding his hands above his head. He chuckled at the confusion in Harry's eyes and leaned in to for a slow kiss, lacing their fingers together. "Never again," he said when they pulled apart, "You will never have to fear me again."

"Are you quite finished?" Severus stated, standing nearby with his arms crossed over his chest.

They sat up, grinning. "Sorry, Sev. Been standing there long?" Draco said.

"Just a few moments," Remus replied, beaming at them, "Do you understand, now, boys?"

They nodded, standing and taking their leave, thanking the men for their help.

"I can't keep up with those two," Severus stated, sitting heavily on the sofa, "They're happily in love one moment and then they are each having their own special kind of mental breakdown and two minutes later…" He sighed, leaning his head back.

"You were young once. Do you not remember what love is like at that age?" Remus said, curling into his side.

"I remember…" Severus said, smiling wistfully, "I just wish there was some way to save them all of the pain that inevitably comes with first love."

Remus kissed him sweetly. "But that would mean sacrificing all of the joy, as well. These are lessons that they must learn, Severus. Trying to shield them from pain will do more harm than good."

Severus nodded, smirking. "Since when is a Gryffindor wiser than a Slytherin?"

Remus returned the smirk. "Since when does a Slytherin fall in love with a Gryffindor?"

XXI

Wow… That all just kind of spilled out. I'm sorry if it seems like there's a lot of angst lately! Please don't hate me for it! And… well, Harry's kind of a crybaby, and I think a lot of people are going to be irritated about that, but you can't go through the crap he's gone through and not come out just a bit touched in the head. Right? I hate to tell you this, but poor Harry and Draco are going to go through a lot more hardship in their relationship. And Harry's life is going to get a whole lot worse before it can get better. But never fear! Because I will throw in random little fluffy chapters here and there! After all, if I write nothing but angst and drama _I'M_ going to end up touched in the head!


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